Jury deliberations have begun in the trial of former Gilman School teachers

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Jury deliberations are currently beginning in the trial of former Gilman School teacher Christopher Bendann.

Bendann decided not to testify on Wednesday.

In their closing argument, the prosecution claimed that the relationship between the victim and Bendann began when the victim was 14 or 15 years old.

They said Bendann “recognized the vulnerability” and exploited it, often referring to the victim as his “puppy.”

They again pointed to video evidence that showed the victim – allegedly a minor – being forced to masturbate and touched by Bendann. They described Bendann not only as a former teacher, but also as a “former wolf in sheep's clothing.”

They presented metadata from the videos which they said proved he was under 18 years old at the time the recording was made.

According to her, the relationship escalated to cyberstalking, in which he threatened to expose the victim if she did not send him more photos.

“The victim was not in a relationship, the victim was in hell,” prosecutors said, adding: “He clung to the boy and never let go. It's time to let him go and find him guilty.”

The defense does not deny the cyberstalking charge and admits that Bendann “lost his mind” when the victim went to college.

In the other charges, they portrayed the relationship between the two as mutual and described it as “romantic,” claiming that it all took place after the victim's 18th birthday.

His lawyer told the jury that if the victim had been sexually exploited as a minor, “the family would have known,” and so would his best friend.

The defense also said he reported the abuse.

The victim said: “Being abused by your teacher for years is nothing to be proud of.”

The defense also claims that the phone data presented by the prosecution is false.

If convicted, Bendann faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for each of the five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and a maximum sentence of 10 years for possession of child pornography.