All charges dropped against former Regina teacher accused of sexually abusing female student

A former Regina high school teacher accused of having sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old female student was acquitted of all five charges he faced on Tuesday, Regina’s Court of King’s Bench confirmed to CTV News.

Jeffery G. Dumba, now 52, ​​faces charges including luring, sexual exploitation and offering sexually explicit material to a person under 16.

It was stated that the alleged crimes occurred in the summer of 2021, after Dumba and a female student who attended the school where he worked began communicating on the social media platform Snapchat.

Their communications allegedly escalated into sexual images transferred on the app and via iPhone messages.

Dumba’s trial has been ongoing since June this year.

He was first arrested in 2021 after police were informed of the alleged relationship.

Digital evidence found on a laptop, Apple Watch and two mobile phones included sexually explicit images transferred between two different Snapchat user IDs believed to belong to the student and the defendant.

Throughout the hearing, the court heard testimony from police officers, the victim, the victim’s mother and Dumba himself.

In October, closing arguments were heard in which Dumba testified he was unaware of the student’s age and claimed she told him she was 20.

Dumba’s defense also argued that the 15-year-old “called the (then) 49-year-old teacher”; The girl’s mother said in June that she believed it happened.

The student was said to have two Snapchat accounts and usernames, one of which later became his real name and surname. Dumba had a different username than the ones he was given because he said it helped keep his students from finding him on social media.

During closing arguments, the defense argued that the student lied about not knowing who the teacher was before communicating on Snapchat.

“He made himself out to be a victim after the incident but that’s not what happened… I think it’s very clear that he felt good about what he did and that he was bragging about that kind of relationship he had with Mr. Dumba,” the defense said in October, adding that the student was “a very convincing liar.”

The Crown argued Dumba did not take sufficient steps to verify the student’s age.

“If she is interacting with him on Snapchat using his username (the alleged victim’s first and last name) and sending him pictures that include images of her face, he is not hiding his identity from her… He knows that people lie about their rights. During closing arguments, the crown said, “His age on social media “He got old on social media because he lied about it,” he said.

In June, the court heard a recording of a preliminary police interview in September 2021 that included a conversation between the student and her mother.

The following dialogue took place between the two:

Mother: “You understand how wrong this is, right?”

Victim: “Yes, but it’s my fault.”

Mother: “Can I ask why you think it’s your fault?”

Victim: “I added him (on Snapchat).”

Mother: “Did you know who he was when you added him?”

Victim: “No, but I added that.”

The student’s mother went on to express that she felt “guilty” because her daughter felt like she was taking some of the responsibility for the situation.

Dumba maintained his innocence throughout the trial and pleaded “not guilty” to all five charges he faced.

–With files from Hallee Mandryk