Drama teacher groomed teen sex victims
(CNS): A 33-year-old schoolteacher from Jamaica was described as grooming three local students when he made sexual advances and touched the youngsters’ genitals during a number of sexual assaults on school premises during 2013. Delroy James admitted five counts of sexual offences, including indecent assault, gross indecency and possessing an indecent image of a child in connection with three 15-year-old boys.
Appearing for a sentencing hearing in the court Wednesday, James’ offences were spelt out to the judge.
Prosecuting counsel Toyin Salako said the offences took place in James’ drama room at the school where he worked and took classes. His conduct came to light when one of his victims complained to his mother shortly after James was suspended from his post at the end of 2013. A police enquiry began and the other boys also came forward.
The pattern of offending was similar with all three teens, the court heard. On each occasion James was alone with the teenagers and had begun discussing their sexual behavior and the size of their penises, showing them pornography or instructing them to put on condoms.
In the case of the first child who was assaulted, named Child A in the court, the teacher had used the excuse of helping him overcome how shy he was. Under the cover of roleplay he had shown the teenager a pornographic website and told him to play the part of a character that didn’t like porn and to fight getting an erection while looking at the images. James went on to unzip the boy’s pants and measure his penis and touched the child’s private parts with a ruler as a result.
He also made inappropriate sexual comments to the boy in class, which the court heard led to a physical confrontation with the teenager.
A second boy, named Child B, described James as not just a teacher but a counsellor and “best friend”, but James took advantage of that trust and, in similar circumstances to the assaults on Child A, he had conversations with him about the size of his penis, his sexual activity and how to put on a condom.
James encouraged Child B to show him his penis and on one occasion measured his genitals through his boxer shorts. He had put pressure on the student to send him an image of his private parts but the boy refused. However, as a result of the teacher’s continued comments about its size, he relented and sent him a picture. On an occasion when James claimed to be showing Child B how to use a condom, he encouraged the boy to masturbate so he could get the condom on. The child, however, refused to do so “in front of a man”.
The third victim, Child C, was also asked to watch porn by James on one occasion after school, when he had asked to use the teacher’s cell phone to call his mother. James offered to give the child a ride home but they would need to wait for James’ wife before they could leave. While they waited, the teacher asked the student, who was 15, if he had watched pornography and at the same time pulled the teenager towards him by his waistband to see if he was aroused. The child pulled away and said that James had then apologized.
All three students reported being hurt, violated and very angry about the assaults. One boy described feeling “stupid” as a result of the teacher’s behavior to him and another feeling “hatred” towards James.
The court heard that James had been a teacher since 2003 and taught in Jamaica before coming to work in the Cayman Islands.
During interviews with the police James claimed he was trying to teach the youngsters about self-control and how to use condoms so they wouldn’t ruin their lives but admitted that his conduct was regrettable and that he had crossed a professional line. Rather than showing them porn and discussing their sexual behavior, he could have taken a different approach. He claimed to have spoken to several students about sex and personal matters – both male and females — because he said part of his role as a teacher was to help the “spiritual development” of students.
Outlining the aggravating factors in the case, Salako said it was the crown’s position that James was grooming these young boys and that it was a serious abuse of trust. She pointed to the similarities in the conduct and a pattern of offending, as well as the disparity in age with the boys, all aged 15, while James was in his early 30s.
Defense attorney Nick Dixey, who spoke in mitigation for James, accepted most of what the crown said about the offending. He said his client was ashamed of the behaviour and said the right thing to do was to plead guilty and not put the students through a trial or a contested hearing about the details of the case. Dixey said his client was filled with remorse; he was “broken and contrite over the offences” and was also suffering from depression because he is a man of strong religious convictions, despite the offending.
“He is a complicated man dealing with inner demons,” Dixey said. He told the court, however, that his client remained in a strong marriage and his wife was standing by him. Having been on remand since he was charged last year, Dixey said that despite James’ earlier concerns about how he would be treated in the prison, given his offences, he has taken an active role helping other inmates by teaching music and drama.
Appealing for a sentence of less than two years, he said James’ offending was not the worst category, since the contact with the boys was often indirect, there were no threats and no suggestions that the boys must keep secrets, though he accepted that the offences were committed through grooming.
Dixey pointed out that in addition to serving time in prison, his career was ruined as he could never hope to work as a teacher again.
“His life is ruined as a result of his own conduct and he should have confronted his inner demons in a different way,” Dixey said. “But he will suffer enormous consequences beyond his incarceration.”
The defence lawyer said it was an unpleasant case for the judge to deal with as he pointed to many more serious cases in the jurisdiction and the type of sentences handed down in those.
Given the lengthy submissions about the case, Justice Charles Quin reserved his decision and set a hearing for 15 April, when he will deliver his sentencing ruling.
Unfortunately,even when this teacher taught students in Jamaica everyone knew by his behavior, but he was a ‘church man’ so there were only whispers he also always had a select group of teenage boys around him which made everyone even more suspicious and in Jamaica there are certain things that are not spoken and even though he got married and had a child very quickly everyone knew, but no one spoke. I think we should be educating our boys as much as we do our girls about sexual assaults, because ever so often parents are shocked to know it’s always the people you entrust them with. I had only hoped someone addressed it before he had the chance to hurt not one but three children!
sadly our educators keep hiring from Jamaica and thinking no need to ever question anyone from there, one day it will be the same Caymanians/Jamaicans hell bent on hiring people from Jamaica for control over work and future voters, who will suffer from what they have done…….it might not be them personally but they’ll have family too!
Where is the sex offender registry? Glad to see that the media is naming and shaming this one. His actions were very horrific and we will never know the true count of his victims IF he is a typical sex offender.
Deportation order?
This goes to show us that children from a young age should be taught about child molestion and how to protect themselves!
As sick as what he did is…thankfully it did not go any further and he was never left alone with the kids outside school premises where he’d have opportunity to try much worse.
He is clearly a gay pedo!
In cayman grooming is a way of life
Being it is a young girl for Breeding or a tourist for investment its the way it is.
Morally and $ bankrupt
Hope his wife gets counselling and maybe she should consider leaving Cayman, teaching young children all day long must be stressful under these circumstances.
Remember not only the children need to be assessed for counselling so will his wife and not our expense.
How sick and disgusting, I couldn’t even finish read the article, it made me want to puke! . We have some very sick people living in this world, but, I tell you if that was my child he did that to, they won’t be no jury or judge for him, I would be his jury and judge. Anyway, I am just here wondering if the C.I Government is doing a thorough background/ fingerprint check on these teachers and other delicates/expatriates they hired that come to this Island to work? Are they doing enough to protect our children, from child predators and molesters? Are they doing enough to protect our children from gangs/ thugs that is now into our schools? I don’t think so. This should be your number one priority, our Caymanian children is the foundation of this nation, who is going to fill our shoes when we are gone? our heritage is dying out, because, our children are killing each other, and we don’t even know who to trust anymore, even when we send our kids to school. So, to the C.I government stop talking and start acting, the time is now.
Ah last count the predators and molesters are usually family on this island.
Grooming is part of giving children alcohol at 18 SICK that’s why you see kids on walkers road drinking 345 during school breaks because they start drinking at 12 its cool
Your POLICE think it is OK because that is NORMAL to them(from 3ed world mind set)
ever wonder why such bad choices are made later in life
Alcohol destroys the brain. When I see your leaders tying it on, I feel bad for the decisions that will be made the next few days
What are you doing? Instead of ranting on here take affirmative action. You cannot expect the people hiring to know every single predator. They will only find out about the ones with convictions not the ones who abuse but are never found out. There is loads you could be doing to stop very young teenage girls dating older men which seems to be common here in Cayman, there is loads you could be doing to teach your boys that the objectification of girls is “not ok”, there is loads you could be doing in your own community right at this minute instead of assuming it is just the CIG responsibility. It is the communities responsibility to ensure our children are safe, they are resilient and the have respect for themselves and each other.
He didn’t teach Drama…………………he brought TRUAMA……..Wicked evil disgusting man!! Where oh where is the cow cod?? Needs be taken to public square and flogged 100 lashes for each offense…..WICKED man……and his attorney about “strong religous views”. Pile of crock……Keep religion out of this…….he needs MENTAL Health NOT a pastor…..Nasty dirty wicked good-for-nothing male
crucifixion. First offense.
Nail him up I say
Children are first to be accused of acting up and have to face too much humiliation and many times leading to abuse, start listening to students and put in place proper means of reporting these teachers.
STudents are too easily accused of being at fault, only God knows what they have to deal with
Bastard. Should have to rot in jail, have a wife yet turned on by a likkle pickni, BOY child at that. I hope he doesn’t have kids, Well, sons. Send him back where he come from in a dam cardboard box.
Show his photo, so the world will know.
What is it with “men of strong religious convictions” and young boys?
Exactly, 9:41, including the born Caymanian ones who marry for a safety net and work in Education and are well known by all to be ‘that way” but because they are “holy men” with churches you cannot touch them.
…but they can touch you
Religion is power to those who preach.
There will always be naive people to follow.
…. And poor people who are offered as much hope as they can lap up for only ten per cent of their salary!
This teacher needs to be taken out in the public and given 100 lashes by everyone of the parents of boys A B C, to teach other teachers that this kind of behavior of a teacher are unacceptable .
Teachers do not need public lashings to know that this “kind of behavior is unacceptable. Most of us go into the profession because we love children we don’t go into it to harm them. This rogue teacher with his apparently “strong religious beliefs” has been dealt with appropriately by the Department of Education and he will never work in this jurisdiction again with children. Will be be deported?
This one sure do need 600 lashes with a thorn prickles stick , because the action of the Education Department is no punishment for this kind of disrespect to our children, deportation he will go somewhere and do the same thing to other children . I think that if other teachers see this could happen to them, then they will think twice before any other attempt to do this kind of disrespectful disgraceful act to our children . GIVE HIM SOMETHING TO REMEMBER ALL HIS LIFE .
These predators never stop as long as they have contact with children.
Society sees and knows something is wrong with the individual’s behavior but laws and human rights have to wait until someone is damaged for life. Predators have rights but alas, the victims” rights……..People just “Shu Shu’ knowing certain individuals are a danger to children. Head is in the sand.
Parents read/watch the news. Stay in touch with reality and talk to/question our children. Kids need to be aware of danger and know how to protect themselves.