Canadian Authorities Arrest Former Filipino Teacher in Child Exploitation Probe

A former Filipino high school teacher in Canada has been arrested and is facing court proceedings after authorities charged him with offenses related to child sexual abuse material.

Jimmy Buena, 48, a former teacher at St. Oscar Romero Catholic High School in Edmonton, was charged in June 2025 with making, accessing, possessing, and transmitting child sexual abuse material, according to the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT).

Investigators launched the case following a tip from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre. Authorities alleged that Buena uploaded child sexual abuse material through Facebook, prompting an investigation by ALERT's Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit.

Police attempted to arrest Buena at the school on June 24, 2025, but he could not be located. Investigators initially believed he had left Canada, leading authorities to consider him a fugitive from the ongoing investigation.

ALERT later announced that Buena was arrested at Edmonton International Airport on April 15, 2026. Court records show he has since appeared before the court, and the case remains active.

While investigators said the alleged offenses occurred online, authorities have not ruled out the possibility that students may have been affected. Law enforcement officials continue to examine the extent of the case as court proceedings move forward.

No findings of guilt have been made by the court, and the charges against Buena have yet to be tested in court.

The case remains under judicial consideration.