Former teacher jailed for defiling minors

45 year-old former teacher Mario Bugeja, was jailed for five years and six months after he was found guilty of defiling four young boys.

The cases involving Bugeja date back to 2003, when the former teacher was arrested and investigated for possession pedo-pornographic material. He had admitted to obtaining such material off the internet.

But investigations also unearthed chats between Bugeja and another man, identified as Martin Cefai during which they discussed indecent acts they had carried out with children, as well as pictures of a pornographic nature featuring Bugeja and underage boys.

Bugeja had admitted before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli that he was involved in a series of indecent acts with children in other locations during the summer of 2003.

He accused Cefai of having abused him when he was younger, and that the abuse had stopped when he entered a convent to become a priest.  Bugeja then moved to Gozo and started working there.

He recounted that he had come across Cefai again when he was 31 years old, and that he was aware that he had brought Russian children to Gozo.

Bugeja said that he had offered to help Cefai because he believed that he had good intentions, but added that these children were abused by Cefai instead.

When handing judgement, Magistrate Demicoli said that she also considered the conclusions of a psychologist's report on the accused, but said that she was sentencing him to serve an effective jail term because he had exploited vulnerable children.

Inspector Louise Calleja from teh Police Vice Squad led the prosecution.