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A former teacher in southeastern Saskatchewan has been sentenced to five years in jail for several sex-related charges involving three teenage girls.

Troy Ruzicka, who taught at a school in Estevan, pleaded guilty in September to two counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual touching.

He also admitted to accessing child pornography, as well as to using telecommunications to contact someone under 18 for the purpose of facilitating an offence.

Ruzicka was charged in March after an investigation that began when police were contacted by the South East Cornerstone Public School Division.

A statement of facts read in court Monday said Ruzicka used his position to lure students using a fake Facebook account and often messaged the students while at school.

The judge said Ruzicka knowingly targeted vulnerable students that he knew he could exploit.

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