FORMER Bishops’ High School teacher, Coen Jackson was on Tuesday committed to stand trial at the High Court for engaging in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 while being in a position of trust.
Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates Court presided over the paper committal against Jackson, 39, of Durban Street, Lodge. Magistrate Latchman, after finding sufficient evidence against Jackson, committed him to the High Court on Tuesday.
He will remain out on $300,000 bail.
According to reports the offence allegedly took place at Durban Street, Lodge, between December 2010 and May 2011. He was remanded to prison on his first appearance in court.
The former Bishops’ High School Business and Economics teacher stands accused of sexual predation of school-aged girls. He was arrested when the matter first came to light but was later released. Jackson has always denied the allegations levelled against him, but admitted to having two relationships with former students of the senior secondary school.
Several persons have reportedly given statements which indicate that they are victims of Jackson’s sexual grooming.
The matter was investigated by the Ministry of Education and the Childcare and Protection Agency (C&PA) and was handed over to the police. The Ministry of Education had also found that headteacher of the Bishop’s High School, Winifred Ellis’s chiding of the female students on the matter was out of place and recommended that she be reprimanded.