A former teacher who was convicted of sending sexual text messages to a student has been acquitted of all charges in a separate case.
Martin Careen, 53, was found not guilty on July 16 in Abbotsford provincial court of theft, obstructing a peace officer and assault with a weapon.
Careen was accused on April 26, 2010 of shoplifting toiletry items from the Real Canadian Superstore on Gladwin Road, pushing one of the loss prevention officers (LPO) who had approached him, and fleeing in his mini van.
While driving away, it was alleged that the passenger side mirror of his vehicle hit one of the LPO’s, hurting his arm.
Careen was later arrested at his home and charged.
In May of this year, Careen was sentenced to 60 days in prison for his conviction on a charge of invitation to sexual touching.
The charge stemmed from a January 2009 text conversation he had with a female student, then 17, that turned sexual in nature. Careen was a teacher at St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary – a private Catholic school – at the time.
He is no longer permitted to teach and is now employed as an office worker at a construction company.