'It's just shocking,' daycare manager says after magician charged with making child porn
Dan the Magic Man was set to perform at kids' daycare when news of arrest broke
Parents of children at a Winnipeg daycare as well as staff were shocked to learn that a magician now facing child pornography charges had earlier performed at the facility and was set to perform there this week, the manager says.
CBC News is not identifying the daycare or revealing the manager's last name to protect the confidentiality of the children.
"It's just shocking," Cheryl said. "We've had him here before. The kids really like him."
Daniel Kamenicky, 39, was charged Aug. 24 with making child pornography, possessing child pornography, distributing child pornography and voyeurism. Kamenicky performs under the name Dan the Magic Man.
Kamenicky was also employed as an educational assistant at Windsor School, a kindergarten to Grade 8 school in Elm Park. The principal confirmed he has been suspended from the Louis Riel School Division.
The charges have not been proven in court.
Kamenicky was booked to perform at the daycare centre Monday morning, but he never showed up, Cheryl said.
"I just had a parent here saying their child was looking forward to volunteering to be his helper," she said.
The manager said she had hired Kamenicky to perform before. She said she was shocked and "disgusted" after learning about the charges after reading a CBC online story.
She said the daycare hasn't done background checks on entertainers before, but that may change.
"It's very disappointing," Cheryl said. "Now it questions everybody. It puts everybody in that same questionable light."
Policies not background checks protect children: expert
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection said parents need to remain vigilant and shouldn't rely on background checks for peace of mind about their kids' safety.
Signy Arnason, director of cybertip.ca, said parents and organizations are better off setting rules and policies surrounding how adults are allowed to interact with children.
"I think what we have to be abundantly aware of is that most of the people who commit offences against children have never been caught," Arnason said.
"When we do that, we're enhancing the protection of children," she said.