A teacher has been found guilty of grooming a 15-year-old boy for s*x using the homosexual dating app Grindr and the social media app Snapchat.
Daniel Martin, 66, had been a teacher for almost 30 years before being charged in June 2022 with child luring, s*xual interference, human trafficking, and sexual assault.
A court in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, heard how the teacher used both the dating app Grinder and Snapchat to entice the boy.
He went to see the teenager, who was 15 despite the man claiming he was 16, and they had a two-minute encounter in a park before Martin urged him to stop. Despite his pleas, the child insisted that he had “done this before”.
Once finished, the disgraced former teacher gave him approximately £30, followed by another £300 a few weeks later after continuing to chat online.
They met up again, and the boy confirmed that he was truly 15. It was also discovered during the trial that the man had a history of paying for s*x with young men in their mid-20s.
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The man was branded a “low risk” and “unlikely” to be drawn to children, with prosecutors asking a two-year sentence minus one day.
Martin “apologised” in court for what he had done, claiming that he was merely attempting to “help” the boy, but admitting to making things “a lot worse”. He reportedly expressed “empathy” for the victim, according to local news sources, and requested a community service sentence.
Martin also asked with the court not to label him a registered s*x offender because the boy was underage.
He arrived in court this week with a stick and wearing a surgical mask.
He is scheduled to be sentenced later this year.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli