By Artesia Davis
Copyright thenassauguardian
A suspended teacher took the witness stand yesterday and categorically denied sexually abusing a former student.
Robert Ayton faces charges of indecent assault and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor of the same sex at his trial before Justice Guillimina Archer-Minns.
Ayton was working as a mathematics teacher and track coach at a government high school when prosecutors alleged that he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old boy.
Ayton has been suspended from teaching pending the outcome of the trial.
Questioned by his lawyer Mario Gray, Ayton denied touching his accuser’s penis during a massage in 2019.
The complainant alleged that during cross-country practice near the Cricket Club on West Bay Street he told Ayton that he had injured his leg.
That’s when Ayton allegedly massaged him and touched him intimately.
Ayton said that the accuser never told him about an injury. Additionally, he said he would never massage an injured athlete. He said he would recommend rest, icing, compression and elevation along with strengthening exercises.
In June 2020, the accuser alleged that Ayton had sent him in the school’s gym to do leg presses.
The young man alleged that Ayton locked him in the gym, pulled a knife on him and forced him to perform oral sex.
Ayton denied this, saying he did not have a key for the gym because he was a math teacher. Concerning the alleged armed sexual assault, Ayton said he only carried a whistle and a stopwatch.
Ayton denied that he was circumcised as alleged by his accuser.
On another occasion in 2021, the accuser alleged that he caught a ride with Ayton from a track meet. He said that Ayton stopped by his home.
The accuser claimed that Ayton took his cellphone and went inside.
He said that when he entered the house, Ayton engaged the deadlock and took a shower and told him to come for the phone.
The former student alleged that Ayton sexually assaulted him.
Ayton denied this, saying he didn’t give the boy a ride.
He acknowledged, however, that the boy had been at his home along with other members of the team when they trained on Yamacraw Beach.
Ayton, who lives nearby, said that the team would come to his house for refreshments and to use the bathroom.
Ayton said that his wife was always at home when the team stopped by.
Cashena Thompson and Vashti Bridgewater are the prosecutors.
