Edmonton teacher facing child exploitation charges, may have left Canada: ALERT
Jimmy Buena, seen here in 2022, is wanted by Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams in connection with child exploitation charges. (CTV News Edmonton)
Police are searching for an Edmonton teacher wanted for child sexual exploitation charges.
Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) said 47-year-old Jimmy Buena, a teacher at St. Oscar Romero Catholic High School, has been charged with accessing, possessing and transmitting child pornography.
According to ALERT, Buena allegedly uploaded child sexual abuse materials to Facebook.
The agency said the charges are related to online offences and it's unclear whether any students were impacted.
A warrant was issued for Buena's arrest and officers attempted to take him into custody on Tuesday, but he was not at the school. ALERT believes he has left the country.
On Wednesday morning, the St. Oscar Romero website said Buena taught Filipino language and math. That page was later taken down.
The Edmonton Catholic School Division said it was made aware of the charges against Buena on Tuesday.
It said Buena's last day at the school was June 19, and that he longer worked for the school or division and would not be returning in September.
'The safety and well-being of our students is our first priority, and we are fully cooperating with police,' the division said in a statement to CTV News Edmonton.
'Our priority right now is to ensure that our school community has the support and resources it needs during this time. Given the ongoing investigation, we are unable to share further details.'
Anyone with information on Buena should contact local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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