INTERDICTED Bishops’ High School teacher, Coen Jackson, was, on Tuesday, acquitted on one count of child rape, but the 12-member jury was unable to arrive at a verdict on three other counts.

As a result, Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, who presided over the matter at the Sexual Offences Court of the Demerara High Court told Jackson that he will be retried for the three counts at the next practical session of the Demerara Assizes.

Jackson had denied the four charges which stated that, on four separate occasions between February to May 2011, he engaged in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 by abusing a position of trust.

After deliberating for over two hours, the jury was unable to deliver a verdict in relation to the three charges committed between February and April 2011.

However, they found him unanimously not guilty of the count which was commuted in May 2011.

Jackson was represented by attorneys-at-law Nigel Hughes and Jerome Khan. Prosecutors Muntaz Ali, Nafeeza Baig, and Latifah Elliot presented the state’s case.

He will remain out on $300,000 bail.

Jackson who taught business and economics prior to being charged, remains accused of sexual predation of a school-aged girl.

According to reports, the first offence allegedly took place at D’Urban Street, Lodge, between February and May 2011.

It is alleged that Jackson would put on a pornographic movie and have the victim perform oral sex on him.

Sometime in May 2011, they engaged in sexual intercourse for the first time.

The events were brought to light in 2017, some six years after they occurred. Reports are that the victim confided in someone, who caused her to realise that what had allegedly happened to her was wrong and that she was being abused by her teacher.

The victim said that she felt that she needed to bring this matter to light and report it because she did not want it to happen to another student.

Jackson stated in his unsworn statement to the court that he did have a relationship with the victim. However, the relationship started while she was a student at the University of Guyana and he was completing his Master’s degree.

The matter was investigated by the Ministry of Education and the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) and handed over to the police.