A teacher who confessed to sexually exploiting a young student was labeled a “selfish demon” by the victim’s family during a sentencing hearing yesterday.
Ronald Forde, 39, pleaded guilty to charges of luring while in a position of trust, sexual exploitation, and accessing child pornography related to incidents that occurred this year.
Due to legal restrictions, the victim, who is under 18, remains anonymous.
During the hearing, the victim’s sister read a statement to the Supreme Court, condemning Forde as a “selfish demon who presents himself as a man of God.” She expressed her disgust, saying, “There are not enough words to describe how sickened I am by your very existence.” The sister recounted how discovering explicit messages between Forde and her sister made her feel “sick to the core,” accusing him of manipulating parents to gain their trust and prey on innocent children.
The court learned that the offenses came to light when the victim’s brother allowed her to use his phone to access Instagram. Cindy Clarke, the Director of Public Prosecutions, explained that on March 4, the brother changed the phone’s settings, discovered inappropriate messages, which included sexual content, a nude video of the victim, and voice messages from an adult male. When confronted, the victim identified Forde as the male involved, prompting her family to report the matter to the school and the police.
In a police interview, the victim revealed that the inappropriate conversations began in February and that on March 2, she visited Forde’s home, where they kissed in his bedroom. Clarke noted that police found a pair of the victim’s underwear at Forde’s residence, indicating he may have taken a “trophy.”
Although Forde has no prior convictions, he had previously been indicted for a similar offense in another jurisdiction, which was dismissed due to issues with the committal process. Reports indicate that he was charged in 2011 for engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old student in Guyana, but the case was discharged following a court ruling on the constitutionality of the “paper committals” used.
Ms. Clarke emphasized that while luring is a relatively new offense, added to the Criminal Code in 2020, its maximum sentence of 15 years reflects its seriousness. She argued that this case is particularly egregious, as it involved sexual exploitation by someone in a position of trust. “I cannot think of any other luring circumstances that could be worse,” she stated, citing a study revealing that one in three adults report experiencing sexual abuse before age 18.
Taking Forde’s early guilty plea into account, Clarke recommended a sentence of 10 to 12 years for sexual exploitation and luring, plus two years for accessing child pornography, to be served consecutively for a total of up to 14 years. She also proposed that Forde be added to the sexual offenders’ registry and mentioned the potential for a deportation order.
Elizabeth Christopher, representing Forde, contended that the offense was less severe compared to other cases involving younger or multiple victims with more serious exploitation. She argued that Forde’s actions amounted to kissing, and that similar past cases were often dealt with in Magistrates’ Court.
While Judge Juan Wolffe noted that a four-year sentence would be a significant reduction from the prosecution’s recommendation, Christopher maintained that the specifics of the case warranted a lighter sentence.
Forde apologized to the victim and her family, admitting full responsibility for his “gross act of betrayal.” He stated, “All of the mistakes that led to this day are my doing. I accept that the punishment and all blame should fall solely on me.”
Justice Wolffe remanded Forde in custody until January 6, when a sentencing decision is anticipated.
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