Officials confirmed Tuesday that a man in his 30s, who had been working as a teacher’s assistant with the Fort McMurray Public School District, had been arrested and was facing a range of child exploitation-related charges.

Officers with the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) said Russell Hancock, 35, was arrested April 18 by the ALERT Northern Alberta Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) team, with help from Wood Buffalo RCMP.

Investigators said Hancock was a teacher’s assistant in Fort McMurray, and it’s alleged he committed a number of sexual offenses against two students in that city over the past 10 months.

"As far as the actual relationship between them, we're still looking into that," Sgt. Mike Lokken with the ALERT ICE Unit said in a press conference Tuesday. "At this time, it does not appear they occurred in his role as a teacher's assistant or at schools where he worked."

The two students were described as being elementary-school aged, but no other identifying details were released.

Doug Nicholls, superintendent with Fort McMurray Public Schools called the charges disturbing.

"We'll also be vigilant in ensuring our staff are knowledgeable in how to accept any other disclosures, should there be some," Nicholls said in a phone interview.

Nicholls told CTV News Hancock had been working with the school district since 2008 - and counselling services had been made available to students or teachers who need it in the wake of the news.

In a video posted by ALERT on Youtube, Sgt. Lokken said the arrest was made after information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre in Ottawa was passed on to the ICE Unit.

The accused is facing a total of ten charges: three counts of invitation to sexual touching, two counts of sexual exploitation, and one count each of making child pornography, making child pornography available, distributing child pornography, sexual interference, and sexual assault.

In addition to the arrest, Hancock's electronic devices were seized - and statements were still being collected, so additional charges could be laid.

Hancock is in custody, and he’s expected to appear in court in Edmonton April 28.

With files from Sarah Richter