Former student says she was 'groomed' by Saskatoon educator accused of sexual assault
WARNING: Some readers may be troubled by details contained in this story
Aaron Benneweis, 46, has been charged by Saskatoon Police with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor while in a position of trust or authority.
A former student of Legacy Christian Academy — who requested she not be named — says she came forward to SPS in August of 2022 alleging she was involved in several incidents with Benneweis between 2008 and 2013, starting on her 13th birthday.
“He would just like lock eyes with me, but he would smile just like bigger than normal,” she said.
“He wouldn't like look away. It was kind of like 'Hey, he's looking at me a lot.'”
Benneweis is named in the proposed class-action lawsuit involving former students and staff at the school and adjoining Mile Two Church.
The former student says Benneweis was the athletic director while she attended the school.
“He was my first kiss, and I was 14 at that time,” she said.
She says Benneweis, who was in his early thirties at the time, pressured her into keeping their relationship a secret because his family life and career “depended on it."
“We never had sex, but he would make out with me and be like hands all over bodies, all over each other, but I was never like fully naked with him,” she said.
“He had me stripped down to my underwear in his own bedroom in his house, that kind of thing. He had a condom on multiple times.”
She says when she was 17 years old in 2013, she came forward to then-pastor Keith Johnson to discuss what she calls the “most disgusting thing” she’d ever been a part of.
“The very first thing that Keith said after like five seconds of silence was 'Okay, so obviously we have to make a police report because of the nature of the incidences, but will you lie about your age and say that you are older than you were?'"
Attempts by CTV News to reach Johnson have been unssucessful.
She said she agreed because she “just wanted it to be over at that point."
“I was perfectly groomed and conditioned to see myself as a scapegoat,” she said.
“I thought I was coming out to the proper people. I was already conditioned to agree to whatever they wanted me to do.”
She says Benneweis was relocated to Edmonton shortly after.
SPS says Benneweis turned himself in on Tuesday where he was arrested and released on conditions.
In an email, the pastor at Mile Two Church Brien Johnson says due to the legal situation, the church and school will not be giving interviews or comments.
“We will continue to cooperate fully with the legal process and authorities,” he said.
Benneweis is expected to appear in Saskatoon Provincial Court on March 13.
“I am happy that this is finally happening with the proper legal weight behind it because there have been a lot of injustices and a lot of severe stories of abuse for a lot of different people over a lot of years,” said the former student.
“To be honest, Aaron shows up in 95 per cent of my dreams at night to this day because I've never had the proper closure. It's never been dealt with.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.