Regina teacher accused of sex offences admits lying to police during cross-examination by prosecutors

WARNING: This story contains disturbing details.

The Court of King’s Bench heard its final witnesses on Friday in the trial of a Regina teacher accused of sexual offences against a 15-year-old student.

The trial, presided over by Judge Neil Robertson, began on Monday.

Jeffrey Dumba was cross-examined by prosecutor Loren Klein on Friday morning and part of the afternoon. He has pleaded not guilty to five counts, including solicitation of a minor to sexually touch himself, distribution of sexually explicit material to a minor and possession of child pornography.

These charges relate to Dumba’s alleged online and text interactions with a 15-year-old between June 23, 2021, and September 2, 2021.

There is a ban on publication of the girl’s identity.

On Friday, prosecutors questioned Dumba about inconsistencies in his original statements to police and his communications with the 15-year-old after he found out who she was.

Dumba claimed the girl initially told him she was 20 years old. He told prosecutors he believed that to be true. However, the teenager told the court earlier this week that Dumba knew who she was when they exchanged pictures and messages.

During cross-examination, Dumba described feeling “pure panic” when he found out the girl was not 20. He said he found this out on July 15, 2021. He claimed he noticed she was a child when she sent him a photo without social media filters. This, he said, made her look much younger than 20. The filters are known to alter the appearance of the person using them.

Dumba testified that he deleted nude photos of the girl when he found out she was a child.

“I still remember the horror when I found out,” he said in court.

After learning of Dumba’s identity, prosecutors continued cross-examination with questions about Dumba’s correspondence with the teenager. He denied dating the girl “on and off” – despite her testifying to that earlier this week.

Dumba admitted to continuing to text her, but said he was trying to distance himself from her. Prosecutors repeatedly questioned him about his texting her at this time — asking why he was sending messages like “Are you in town?” Prosecutors said this type of communication may not support Dumba’s claim that he was trying to distance himself from the child.

The girl testified in court earlier this week that she interacted with Dumba in the hallway and near his classroom on the first two days of school. Regina police arrested Dumba on September 3, 2021.

The Crown played a recording of Dumba’s interview with police. The teacher admitted on the witness stand that he had repeatedly lied to police. He attributed this behavior to “panic” and admitted that much of what he told police at the time “didn’t make sense.”

Testimony this week revealed that Dumba regularly consumed alcohol, MDMA, cannabis and cocaine this summer. He testified on Friday that he exaggerated his drug use when speaking to police.

He told prosecutors on Friday that drugs did not have such a strong effect on him that he would “intentionally get involved with a minor.”

Closing arguments are scheduled for October 28, 2024.