Former youth worker convicted of sex charge faces child porn count in Woodstock

A former youth worker facing a child porn charge was jailed three years ago for having a sexual relationship with a teenager she met at a London youth detention facility, Woodstock police and court records confirm.

Grace Rodrigues, 31, of Woodstock, was charged this week with possession of child pornography after an investigation by Woodstock police’s internet child exploitation unit and criminal investigations bureau, police said. She was released Monday after a bail hearing.

Court records show Rodrigues was previously charged with three counts of sexual interference and three counts of sexual assault for allegations involving a minor six years ago. All charges but the one count of sexual interference were withdrawn.

Rodrigues was sent to jail for 10 months

in March 2020 after pleading guilty to the charge in a case a London judge called “very serious” and “profoundly inappropriate,” The Free Press reported at the time.

The court heard how Rodrigues, then 25, was a caseworker at an open-custody youth detention facility in London, where she met a 15-year-old male.

Months later, the teen texted her, leading her to take him to a Woodstock hotel for one night in April 2017.

The teen, whom the judge described as “street-wise and not naive,” didn’t disclose the relationship until he was an inmate in a Kitchener detention facility. London police were called and the teen gave a statement.

The teen’s cellphone, recovered later by police, still had texts between him and Rodrigues that pointed to a sexual relationship.

Rodrigues, who had no criminal record then, lost her job after the relationship was made public and later worked in the hospitality industry.

At sentencing, Rodrigues took responsibility for what happened. She acknowledged being “in a vulnerable emotional state when the victim contacted her,” Ontario Court Justice Mark Poland said, but added, “she was the adult and needed to make decisions.”

Rodrigues told court that, whatever her sentence, she was “already in jail for the rest of her life,” Poland said.

A pre-sentence report had described her as a “rule follower” and “hard worker” with a degree in criminology.

Acknowledging it was a “difficult sentence” to craft, Poland handed down the 10-month sentence after hearing arguments from the Crown and defence. The defense sought a sentence ranging from house arrest or weekend custody to six months, while the Crown argued for a 14- to 18-month term.

In his decision, Poland said the teen’s age, Rodrigues’ position of trust when they met, and the intense sexual acts that transpired, were among the aggravating factors he considered.

Rodrigues also pleaded guilty in August 2019 — after she was charged with sexual interference — to driving with more than 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood in her system, according to court records. She received a $2,500 fine on top of a driving ban.

Woodstock police did not detail the circumstances surrounding the latest charge, but said the investigation is ongoing.

The public is reminded to report suspicious internet activity relating to child exploitation to Woodstock police or online at www.cypbertip.ca. The website also offers safety tips for parents, children and internet users.

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