A school teacher who admitted to luring and sexually exploiting a student will await sentencing in January after details of the offenses were revealed in the Supreme Court.
A teacher who admitted to sexually exploiting a young person will await sentencing in January after details of the offenses were delivered in the Supreme Court this morning.
Guyanese national Ronald Forde, 39, an English school teacher, pleaded guilty to luring a young person under the age of 18 while in a position of trust, sexual exploitation while in a position of trust, and accessing child pornography.
He had admitted to all three offenses earlier this year.
Forde began tutoring the victim after school hours in February 2024.
The crown said social media messages including nude photographs of the victim and sexually explicit texts were discovered on a mobile phone.
When the victim’s family found the messages on their phone on March 5th, an investigation was launched.
Forde was brought to Hamiton Police Station for questioning and arrested a day later, and his phone was seized. Police searched his home and confiscated his passport and laptop. Police also found a pair of the victim’s underwear.
The young person, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told police that she and Forde had kissed in his bedroom.
He declined to comment during all recorded interviews with police.
Director of Public Prosecutions Cindy Clarke had called for a jail term of 10 to 12 years as this the first conviction under the newly legislated offense of “luring.”
Among aggravating factors of the case … the number of sexual images recorded and retained by Forde and his previously dismissed cases of a similar nature reported in Guyana.
Forde’s only mitigating factors were lack of previous convictions and an early guilty plea, the DPP added.
In a victim impact statement, a relative of the victim described Forde as a “selfish, demon…”
Defense lawyer Elizabeth Christopher cited Forde’s remorse for the crimes.
In a lengthy address to the court, Forde extended an apology to the people of Bermuda, and said neither the Government nor his employer made a mistake by letting him come to Bermuda. Quote: “All anger should be heaped on me alone”.
Justice Juan Wolffe reserved judgment to the 6th of January 2025.
Forde was remanded into custody at the Westgate Correctional Facility.
