Summer camp kept instructor after he pleaded guilty to assaulting children

A summer camp in Kawartha Lakes kept a man on staff for weeks this summer after he recently pleaded guilty to assaulting children. The situation highlights a legal gap that allows Ontario camps to hire without screening staff for criminal records.

Bradley Gibbs, a Durham Regional Police officer, pleaded guilty in April to two charges of assaulting children who were known to him. Despite the guilty plea, he worked as a lead instructor at KL Hockey Camp, which offers day and overnight programming for children in July and August, until Wednesday — the day after CBC News contacted the camp about his employment.

Camp director Amanda Tayles said in a statement that Gibbs "has publicly taken accountability for his personal actions." She did not say whether camp leadership knew about the guilty pleas or why he was allowed to stay on despite them.

There is currently no Ontario legislation requiring summer camps to screen staff working with children. Camps are not required to obtain criminal record checks or vulnerable sector checks from employees. The Ontario Camps Association requires its 400-plus accredited members to vet staff with criminal record checks, but membership is voluntary. KL Hockey Camp is not part of the OCA, meaning it faces no mandatory vetting standards.

One of Gibbs' victims, now an adult, said the situation is deeply concerning. "If I had sent my kid to [KL Hockey], I'd be really concerned," the victim said, protected under a court publication ban. They said Gibbs co-founded the camp with friends and that camp leadership are aware of the guilty pleas.

Employment lawyer Puneet Tiwari called the lack of legislated requirements a "big gap." Gibbs is expected to appear in court in September for sentencing. He remains employed at Durham Regional Police, currently redeployed from frontline duties to an administrative role pending the outcome of his criminal case.