The London man accused of abducting and molesting a 4-year-old girl on Mother's Day is a former custodian at a local elementary school.
The Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) confirmed on Wednesday that Lawrence Allen Thompson, 65, was at one time an employee of the board.
“TVDSB is deeply concerned about any threat to the safety of children in our community and will cooperate fully with any police investigation. While it is our policy not to comment on personnel matters, we will confirm that Lawrence Thompson ceased to be a TVDSB employee in 2014,” the board said in a statement.
Thompson was charged Tuesday with abduction of a person under 14 years of age, kidnapping, sexual assault of a person under 16 years of age, and sexual interference with a person under 16 years of age.
Wearing jeans and a blue sweater, Thompson appeared at the London courthouse for a hearing on Wednesday afternoon. His defence lawyer Cassandra DeMelo told the court she had just received the initial disclosure from the Crown and the case was adjourned until Friday. Thompson was remanded into custody. His Friday appearance will be by video.
Thompson was arrested by London police on Monday, a day after the young girl was kidnapped as she played with a sibling on Melsandra Ave. According to police, around 9:15am on Sunday, a man stopped his car, got out, grabbed the girl and put her in his car before driving off. It's alleged he touched her inappropriately while she was in the car. When the car stopped, she was able to get out and run home.
A witness who saw the man take the girl called 911.
In 2009, Thompson was charged with sexual assault and sexual interference. Those charges were later withdrawn when Thompson agreed to enter into a peace bond, which requires a person to keep the peace and be on good behaviour for a period of time.
The school board has not identified the school where Thompson was employed or for how long he worked there.