Sex predator P.c. John (Chalkie) White, who lured young boys to his home, showered them with gifts and sexually abused them faces up to 30 years in jail after he was found guilty by a Supreme Court jury yesterday.

White, 38, was a constable employed with the Bermuda Police force when he met the boys and began to develop friendships with them using his position of trust to bring them to his Smiths parish home and abuse them.

The seven man five woman jury delivered a unanimous verdict finding White guilty of all charges which included buggery, attempted buggery, and sexual exploitation in Smiths parish and St. George's between 1996 and 2001.

White was remanded in custody by Assistant Justice Carlisle Greaves pending his sentence on November 2. Queens Counsel John Perry, and local lawyer Leo Mills who represented White, made an application for bail which was denied.

The jury delivered their verdict after two hours of deliberation to a court room filled with the victims family members and relatives. None of the boys White abused were present.

Jurors had to retire to reach a deliberating on one of the charges ? assault occasioning bodily harm on which they reached a majority verdict.

During the trial all three boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave testimony of how White told them to undress and lie on their stomachs with their backsides exposed. He rubbed lotion on their rear ends and proceeded to sexually assault them.

Although the boys did not know one another before the assaults they told the jury of how White assaulted them in this manner. The boys are now 14, 18, and 19.

White lured the boys into becoming his friend with gifts and trips to the movies, and even an overseas trip he went took with one boy to reward him for winning a scholarship to a private school.

On the trip the boy told the court of how White assaulted him in a Walt Disney hotel room and made comments like "You know what time it is" and "You know what's going to happen now".

One of the victims, who was ten at the time and is now 14, was sodomized at White's Smiths Parish home over his Christmas holiday in 2001. Another boy, who was also assaulted at White's home said he had been "robbed of his innocence".

During the trial Dr. Bente Lundh told the court of how she examined the boy, who was ten at the time of the assault, and found injuries consistent with sexual assault.

Close-up photographs presented to the court showed the boy, who is now 14, had two lacerations in the area around the anus.

White had a stoic reaction to the verdict, managed to get out of the courtroom before he could be photographed by and the broadcast media.

Throughout the trial White maintained his innocence and told the court he helped the boys with their homework and wanted to be a positive source of encouragement in their lives.

He told the court he had a sexual relationship with a woman ? the mother of one of the victims. Two mothers of the victims told yesterday that it has been a long, painful ordeal for the boys and their families. The mothers doubt their sons will ever recover from the assaults and are continuing to receive counselling.

"I'm satisfied with what the jury has done for our families but our sons still have a long road ahead. We find it very hard to forgive this man for what he has done."

Another relative and spokesperson for the parents of the boys said she was satisfied with the verdict. "He got what he deserved. If I had anything to say to John White now you wouldn't want to hear it."

She continued: "Our families have suffered long enough and hard enough. The boys will suffer forever, they have to live with this for the rest of their lives."

Her advice to other parents is to screen any adult who comes into contact with your children and to find out as much as possible about their backgrounds.

"This was someone you thought you were able to trust. Screen everyone to protect your child. I'm a mother and a grandmother ? I have two grandchild and now I know the necessity of screening everyone to protect your loved ones."

Prosecutor Juan Wolffe also expressed satisfaction with the verdict. "Justice was done ? these young boys can move on with their lives."

Police Media Relations spokesman Dwayne Caines said White has been dismissed and his case referred to the Public Service Commission.

Mr. Caines would not comment fully but he said the Service was "crafting the appropriate response". Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith is currently off the Island and could not be reached for comment.

THE CHARGES:

P.c. John (Chalkie) White was found guilty of the following charges against the 11-year-old victim:

Sexual assault in St. George's between May 1, 1996 and September 1, 1998;

Sexual assault in Smith's between the same dates;

Sexual exploitation of a minor between May 1, 1996 and September 1, 1998, in St. George's, being in a position of trust or authority did for a sexual purpose touch with a part of his body, a part of the body of the 11-year-old ... and did invite the 11-year-old to directly touch a part of his body with a part of his body;

Attempt to commit buggery between May 1, 1996 and September 1, 1998 in Smith's;

White was convicted of committing the following against a ten-year-old boy:

Sexual exploitation of a young person, between June 1, 1998 and June 30, 1998 in Smith's ... did for a sexual purpose touch (the ten-year-old);

Sexual assault between June 1, 1998 and June 30, 1998 in Smith's;

White was also convicted of the following against another boy, who was also ten at the time of the assaults:

Sexual assault causing bodily harm between December 26, 2001 and January 2, 2002;

Sexual exploitation between December 26, 2001 and January 2, 2002 when he touched the boy;

Assault occasioning bodily harm on the same dates;

Buggery between the same dates.