'I didn’t expect my religion teacher to have that conversation with me': Complainant testifies against former Windsor teacher

The Superior Court of Justice building in Windsor, Ont is shown in this Apr. 2021 file photo. (Michelle Maluske/CTV News Windsor)

Ryan Turgeon, 39, is on trial for eight sex offences – against two complainants - for allegations ranging from 2015 to 2019.

Warning: Contains graphic content

The charges include distributing sexually explicit material to a minor, asking a minor to touch him while in a position of authority and possessing/accessing/making child pornography.

Turgeon’s jury trial started Wednesday and he has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The second complainant (C2) on the indictment took the stand as the first witness for the prosecution.

There is a standard court-ordered publication ban on reporting the complainants name or any evidence that might identify the complainant.

C2 told the jury Turgeon was his religion teacher at Catholic Central High School (CCH) between Sept. 2015 to Feb. 2016.

He testified the teacher allowed “odd conversations” in the classroom, including discussions about pornography with other students.

After leaving CCH for a different high school, C2 testified Turgeon messaged him in an online dating app called Grindr.

Turgeon didn’t initially know C2’s identity but even after it was confirmed, C2 testified Turgeon started a sexually explicit conversation.

“He started to flirt with me and told me I looked hot,” C2 told the jury. “I didn’t expect my religion teacher to have that conversation with me.”

C2 alleges Turgeon then sent him nude images of himself including his erect penis.

“I was young and naïve,” C2 testified. “I was into the fantasy of a teacher and a student” that he had seen in pornographic videos.

C2 said approximately a year later Turgeon reached again, through another social media account.

In that conversation, C2 told the jury he did sent naked pictures of himself to Turgeon and shared his location “to waste his time”.

According to C2, he and Turgeon never saw each other in person during the time of the alleged offences.

None of the allegations against Turgeon have been proven in court.

Cross-examination reveals discrepancies:

Defence lawyer Dean Embry started his cross-examination of C2 late Wednesday afternoon and continued all day Thursday.

Embry has noticed several discrepancies between C2’s testimony at trial compared to his evidence during the preliminary hearing and his statement to Windsor Police.

One example was C2 testified at trial about images and videos being sent by Turgeon during their initial conversation in 2016; details he didn’t share to police or in his first time on the witness stand.

“My memory about the whole event has weakened,” C2 told the jury Thursday in testimony that was at times emotional and confrontational with Embry.

Another example is the alleged conversations in religion class about pornography.

Embry noted C2 told police in his statement that it was Turgeon who shut down the conversation by the students but testified at trial that Turgeon was the instigator of the conversation.

The timeline for when C2 was in or completing high school and where he lived during the alleged conversations with Turgeon was also the subject to much disagreement between the witness and Embry.

“You’re doing a great job at confusing me,” C2 said to Embry.

“I’m going to suggest to you (C2), you’re changing the facts and the changing the testimony so its not possible you were 16 at the time (the images/videos were sent by Turgeon),” Embry replied.

C2 has also admitted he has no proof of any of the conversations, images or videos as they were either deleted by the social media app they were made on, or he deleted them all after meeting his fiance.

Embry also questioned C2 about the age restrictions on Grindr and how a 16 year old could be on it.

C2 denied he lied about his age to access the app and told the jury he doesn’t recall knowing (at the time) that the app was only for people over the age of 18.

C2 emotionally told Embry “it’s a huge lie” for the defence to imply Turgeon didn’t know he was a minor when communicating on social media apps within a year or two of having taught him at CCH.

C2 will return to the witness box Friday for ongoing cross-examination by Embry.