As trial began Tuesday for West High School teacher Jose Bernardo Fanjul, his defense team portrayed him as a passionate and caring teacher who only tried to help the troubled 16-year-old student who is now accusing him of initiating an illegal sexual relationship.
"If any lines were crossed, a student-teacher relationship crossed into a friendship," Ann Marie Taliaferro told 3rd District Judge Ann Boyden, who is hearing the case instead of a jury. "But being a friend and helping a student does not mean a sexual relationship was occurring."
But during nearly three hours of testimony, the girl in question recounted in graphic detail having almost daily sexual encounters with the 46-year-old teacher last year.
She said they had sexual contact in his classroom, in the school elevator, at his home and while watching a movie at a downtown theater.
The defense claims there is no proof of the girl's allegations and they are expected to attack her credibility today during cross-examination.
Prosecutors, however, placed into evidence a number of gifts Fanjul allegedly gave the girl, including a ring, a T-shirt sprayed with his cologne and two music CDs he burned for her. The girl said Fanjul also gave her a dildo.
