Secrets of decades surface as a former North Vancouver teacher considered guilty of sexual crimes

Warning: This article contains details on sexual abuse.

The victims are all middle-aged men now: urban planners, computer science, technological sellers-men with work, titles and families.

But for a long time they were all grade 6-studded boys who had the misfortune of falling under the gaze of a popular elementary school teacher named Brian Meilicke Moore, a predator who has dazzled them with ski trips, beer and “games” played in the dark that has scarred them for life.

Those secret decades spilled in the provincial court of North Vancouver this week while a judge found the 85 -year -old blackberry guilty of nine historical sexual crimes.

“Difficult to feel for those guys”

Moore has worked at the Upper Lynn Valley Elemental School from 1976 until his resignation in February 1982.

Judge Robert Hamilton defined the proof of “extensive” complaints and witnesses, recognizing the length and details of his 66 -page decision.

He also noticed a recurring theme that “equivalent to some grooming tests”: the insistence of Moore the boys “are naked during some activities”, ranging from common showers after swimming, to the water that slipped from the back of his boat and climbed on sleeping bags at night.

Eight of the counts were for indecent attacks dating back between 1976 and 1982, under the old formulation of a section of the criminal code that has been updated since then. The ninth – a conviction of touching for sexual purposes – took place between 2005 and 2007.

Dennis Cooper – one of the two victims who discussed to raise the prohibitions of publication on their names – told CBC News Friday that the verdict was “sweet and sour”. He said that 12 men accused Moore of molesting them and the judge issued Verdetti not guilty with three accusations.

“It would be really difficult for those guys to hear it,” he said.

“The judge made a decision on those three on the basis of an inconsistency of evidence between what was reported to the police and what was testified in court. But this inconsistency does not mean that it has not happened. We all believe you.”

‘Shameful and humiliated’

Cooper has shown a galvanizing force among the victims, bringing a proposal legal cause against Moore on behalf of dozens of alleged victims.

The judge observed that Moore’s lawyer asked most of the appropriate witnesses and if they had spoken with other denunciations such as Moore – who did not testify – implied collusion among the victims.

But the judge found the accusation “unfounded”.

“Almost all the complaints have clearly declared in their evidence that they have not discussed the accusations in this case with anyone else who is their spouses or partners, and only when the accusations against Mr. Moore became public,” said Hamilton.

“There is no evidentiary base to conclude that the complaints and witnesses have produced their evidence to align with the evidence of others”.

Instead, the victim after the victim told trips to the Okanagan with Moore and other boys in which the teacher reached to touch them in their sleeping bags at night.

One recalled that he had played with others in the showers after using the swimming pool at the Simon Fraser University: “The boys were naked in the shower as well as Mr. Moore”.

And Cooper said Moore has shown masturbation for him and two more.

“Dennis Cooper recalls that the demonstration of masturbation was more fun than serious, even if it says it was a little shocking,” Hamilton wrote.

“Dennis Cooper says that all three boys participated in masturbating. He says that Mr. Moore told all the boys to sleep naked and that Dennis Cooper has never worn a pajamas in bed during the trips.”

One of the victims said he felt “shameful and humiliated” by what happened to him.

“It’s proof that he never stopped”

The kingdom of Moore at school ended after some boys told a parent, who went to the school principal.

The former principal – now 93 – testified that he had faced Moore together with an official of the school council following a report of a parent and looked at while “he made his things packed, left the school and provided a letter of resignation on the same day”.

“He says that while this meeting with Mr. Moore took place 42 years ago, the passage of time did not affect his memory for the meeting with Mr. Moore,” wrote Hamilton.

Twenty years after stopping teacher, Moore had an ancient finishing activity. This is how he met and made friends with the mother of two young boys.

Moore offered to be a babysitter in his home.

One of the boys – is – who is now 25 years old, was the youngest victim to testify.

“The boys did not have a pajamas with them, so Mr. Moore gave is a pair of boxers shorts and he said he was removed underwear and sleep in the shorts”, wrote Hamilton, noting that they were seven or eight at the time.

“It is said that while lying on the bed, Mr. Moore lengthened his hands under the blankets and under the boxes of the boxer.”

According to the decision, the RCMP investigated on Moore in 1988, but the accusations did not take place until Cooper began to speak publicly about his experiences in 2022.

Cooper states that the gap over time between the crimes is remarkable.

“It’s proof that he never stopped,” he said.

“There is a high probability that there are many more victims out there.”

A judge has yet to decide the fate of the legal case.

Moore denied the accusations made in civil litigation and argued that the school district and the parents of the children should be held responsible for any damage that children suffered during the events sanctioned by their tutors and school officials.

If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety or for that of others around you, call 911. For support in your area, you can search for lines of crisis and local services through the Ending violence association of canada database. ​​