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A teacher’s assistant at a Fort McMurray elementary school who committed sex crimes against young boys and had a huge child pornography collection has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Russell Hancock, who is originally from Newfoundland, pleaded guilty earlier this week to sexual interference, two counts of invitation to sexual touching, three counts of making child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography and six counts of possessing child pornography.

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During an emotional sentencing, the 37-year-old tearfully apologized to his victims and their families after some family members angrily called him a “predator” and accused him of the “ultimate act of betrayal” while reading out their victim impact statements.

One victim’s mother told court the “horrible” event left her feeling “alone, hopeless and afraid” and suffering from anxiety and panic.

“The moment I found out my son was sexually abused by a man we called his teacher, his mentor, but worst of all, our friend, was the day my life was shattered,” she said. “I was left to attempt to pick up the broken pieces of what was left of my life.”

According to an agreed statement of facts, the RCMP began investigating Hancock in early 2014 after getting information about him from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security following the arrest of a man there on child pornography charges.