Alleged sexual text messages between a Cambridge teacher and a teenage student were the subject of discussion Wednesday at the teacher’s sexual exploitation trial.
Jacqueline Lavigne, 33, is accused of having sex with a 17-year-old student in 2011.
At the time, she was a teacher at Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary School – a position she has been on paid leave from as her case made its way to court.
She has pleaded not guilty to the charge of sexual exploitation.
Wednesday, two friends of the teen – like the teen, none of whom can be named pursuant to a court order – took the stand to offer their recollections of what transpired between their friend and Lavigne.
One said he saw sexual BBM messages sent from Lavigne to the student.
In one sequence, the teen and his friend were out at a sports bar – the teen was underage at the time – when he allegedly received a message from Lavigne, asking him to come over.
When the teen declined, saying he was out drinking, Lavigne allegedly responded with an offer to meet him at the bar.
“She would come pick him up and they could go to a hotel room or have sex in her car,” the friend testified, adding that the student again declined.
The alleged sexual incident between the two occurred a week or two later.
Defence lawyer Bill Markle says there are potential inconsistencies and discrepancies in the evidence thus far, including where the teen’s friends were and what his mood was when he allegedly asked them to pick him up from Lavigne’s house.
“This is a case that turns on the issue of credibility,” he tells CTV News.
It’s not known if Lavigne will testify in her own defence, but a technical expert is expected to testify with evidence about the use of BlackBerry Messenger.
