Teacher Sent Sex Videos to Three Students

Will Surrender Teaching License and Register as Sex Offender

A former English teacher at MS 137 in the South Ozone Park has admitted to sending sexual videos and electronic messages to three of his 12-year-old female students.

“The defendant has admitted to sending indecent messages and pictures to several of his students during his first teaching assignment,” said DA Richard Brown. “This case should serve as a clear and unmistakable warning that law enforcement is prepared to apprehend and prosecute those who attempt to engage in illicit activity involving children.”

The defendant was identified as Umesh Ramjattan, 24, of 91-71 115th Street in Richmond Hill. He appeared before Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice
Ira Margulis and plead guilty to disseminating indecent material to minors in the first degree.

As part of his plea, Ramjattan, who has been free on $50,000 bail since his arraignment on November 9, 2007, will surrender his New York State teaching license, forfeit his computer and be required to register as a sex offender. The Department of Education has terminated Ramjattan.

Justice Margulis set sentencing for April 20, 2009, at which time he indicated that he would likely sentence Ramjattan to five years’ probation – one condition being the successful completion of the sex offenders program he presently attends.

District Attorney Brown said that, according to the charges, one of Ramjattan’s female seventh-grade students at MS 137 in Ozone Park sent an e-mail in September of 2007, to e-mail address he had provided the class. Soon thereafter, Ramjattan began Instant Messaging her with questions that were both sexually suggestive and of a personal nature. In October, he sent her a video of he and his girlfriend having sexual intercourse.

A second female student who e-mailed the defendant about homework began receiving instant messages from him through his AOL account on September 29, 2007, that contained questions of a personal nature and that. In early October she received a picture of the defendant not wearing a shirt.

A third female student who e-mailed the defendant began receiving instant messages from the defendant through his AOL account that were both personal and sexual in nature.

District Attorney Brown said that an investigation began when the parents of one of the students notified school authorities that Ramjattan had e-mailed a sexual video to their daughter and the school, in turn, notified the police.