A teacher facing a potentially lengthy prison term after admitting to sexually exploiting a pupil has had date his sentencing postponed.

Ronald Forde, 39, was to be sentenced yesterday after he pleaded guilty in November to luring while in a position of trust, as well as sexual exploitation and accessing child pornography.

However, the Supreme Court heard that his defence lawyer, Elizabeth Christopher, had requested extra time to lodge further submissions for her client.

Ms Christopher explained that she wanted to review several pieces of information to ensure they were on the court’s records.

She added that her client wanted this clarified because he could face a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment for luring.

Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe accepted her submissions — but warned that, because he was overseeing an unrelated trial that might take months, Forde could be sentenced as late as March.

He earlier said that he had intended to draft up his sentencing decision over the weekend.

Ms Christopher’s e-mail, delivered last Friday and asking to make additional submissions, forced him to hold off.

Cindy Clarke, the Director of Public Prosecutions, told the court that all of the information had been on the record since March of last year.

The court earlier heard that the offences were discovered by the brother of the victim, who discovered inappropriate messages, including a video, between his sister’s Instagram account and another person.

The family confronted the victim, who confessed that Forde had been the other contact, and the family alerted police and the school.

The student told police that the inappropriate conversations began in February and that, on March 2, she had gone to Forde’s house, where the pair had kissed in his bedroom.

Media reports from Forde’s native Guyana showed that he was charged with engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old student in 2011.

The matter was discharged after a court ruling found that “paper committals” used in the case were unconstitutional.

Ms Clarke in an earlier hearing suggested Forde be given a sentence of between ten and 12 years for sexual exploitation and luring, as well as a two-year consecutive sentence for accessing child pornography.

She also called for Forde to be added to the list of sexual offenders and raised the possibility of an application for a deportation order.

Ms Christopher, however, argued for a sentence of four years for sexual exploitation, two years for luring and one for accessing child pornography, all to run concurrently.

Mr Justice Wolffe adjourned the sentencing until March 3 and remanded Forde in custody.

He warned counsel that he would move the sentencing to an earlier date if the court schedule allowed.

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