‘I was an easy target’

The former student who admitted to a relationship with Bishops’ High School teacher Coen Jackson, leading to a complaint that has resulted in a criminal investigation, has broken her public silence, saying that she now believes that he preyed on her.

In a Facebook post, published on Sunday, Cris Smith also signals that her relationship with Jackson began while she was still in school, contrary to his claim that he has only been involved with two former students of the school, and only after they left the institution.

Jackson, 38, was accused last week of sexually grooming and preying on students over the course of his more than 15-year teaching career. The abuse allegedly occurred across institutions, with the most recent being the Bishops’ High School, where he has taught for the past 11 years. He has denied the allegations.

The matter was