Home / Crime and Justice / Teacher jailed for 'I love you' messages to student
Teacher jailed for 'I love you' messages to student
21 Sep
Summary
- Teacher sent student messages expressing love and compliments.
- Messages were sent over six months via school communication tools.
- He received a nine-month jail sentence for luring a minor.
Ketan Badiani, a 59-year-old teacher from Winnipeg, was sentenced to nine months in jail on September 21, 2026, for luring a student under 18 via telecommunication. Badiani sent messages to the student between October 2024 and March 2025 while employed at St. Maurice School. Initially about schoolwork, his messages became complimentary and included expressions of love and emojis.
The court heard that Badiani's communications escalated to include in-person interactions. He once discussed seeing the student outside of school after she turned 18 and gifted her a $50 gift card. The judge noted that while the student responded similarly, this did not excuse Badiani’s inappropriate actions, stating, "He was the teacher. She was a child."
Badiani, described as a lonely and isolated man, has lost his job and teaching license. His sentence will be followed by three years of supervised probation, with conditions including no contact with the student. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of luring a person under 18.
