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Gilbert Mano

Elizabeth Tsuro Midlands Reporter
A MALE teacher who sent pornographic videos and a nude picture of himself to a 16-year-old male pupil at a top Gweru school has been spared jail. In a shock ruling, a magistrate released Gilbert Mano, 36, after ordering him to pay a $100 fine and said he hopes the teacher KEEPS HIS JOB.

Mano, of 177 Cape Street, Shurugwi, faces a shameful discharge from his job as a teacher at Fletcher High School after pleading guilty to distributing pornographic material.

Mano, who is thought to be gay, although he has a wife and children, claimed in court that the Fletcher High School Form 4 pupil — whom prosecutors believe he was trying to convert to homosexuality — had asked him to send the videos and nude picture.

He told Gweru magistrate Tayengwa Chibanda: “Indeed I sent my nude picture and the two videos after the complainant asked me to.”

Chibanda said he had considered that Mano was a first offender as he let him go with a fine.

“If you’re given a custodial sentence, you may lose your job and the court has considered that you’re a family man,” he said.

“You’ve to pay a fine of $100 and in default of payment you will have to spend 60 days in prison.”

Prosecuting, Lloyd Mavhisa told the court that on December 8 last year, Mano sent two gay pornographic videos and a nude picture of himself to the boy.

The pupil showed the offensive videos and pictures to his father who called the police.

Mavhisa said police investigations established that the mobile phone number which was used by Mano to send the picture and videos was registered in his name.

“The pornographic picture was printed from the informant and was brought to court as evidence,” said Mavhisa.