Jury still deliberating Friday in Windsor teacher's sex crime trial

The jury deciding the fate of a Windsor high school teacher charged with alleged sex crimes involving two former students was still sequestered and deliberating as of Friday's midday Windsor Star print deadline.

At the start of the trial last week, Ryan Turgeon, 39, pleaded not guilty to eight criminal counts, including two counts each of sexual exploitation and making sexual material available to someone under the age of 18.

The 12 jurors heard closing arguments from the Crown and defence Thursday morning before a lengthy (108-page) charge and instructions from Superior Court of Justice Brian Dube.

Ahead of the closing submissions by prosecution and defence on Thursday, Dube withdrew two of the counts — for possession of child porn and making and publishing child porn.

Turgeon, who taught senior classes at Catholic Central High School, including religion and drama, was arrested in April 2021 following an investigation by the Windsor Police Service's internet child exploitation unit.

Assistant Crown attorney Jayme Lesperance described the two complainants as very vulnerable teens, one exploring his sexuality and living in a group home, the other “ostracized and punished” by his family, and homeless and couch-surfing, after coming out as gay. Turgeon was seen as a mentor and someone the students could confide in.

Defence lawyer Dean Embry countered that the alleged criminal conduct was fabricated or happened after a complainant had turned 18. He pointed to discrepancies in trial testimony versus what had been said to police and at the preliminary hearing.

Embry also criticized police investigators for only having examined the contents of Turgeon's cellphone and not those of the complainants, who knew each other.

To read up on the jury's decision, follow windsorstar.com.