The trial for a St. John’s teacher accused of sexual exploitation of a student began in Supreme Court this morning, but not before a jury as was expected.

The trial began with word that 34-year-old Krysta Grimes had changed her mind and decided to be tried by judge alone.

Grimes is accused of having sexual contact with a male student of Gonzaga high school in the spring of 2018. It’s alleged to have occurred in the boy’s family BMW while Grimes was a subsitute gym teacher at the school.

But Grimes’ lawyer has raised serious concerns about how the charge came to be laid in the first place.

Court heard the allegation came to the attention of the school district, which made the complaint to the RNC in late 2018, and that the alleged victim originally denying it happened.

The defence noted there were “widespread rumours” involving the teacher and other Grade 12 students as well, who referred to her as Booty Grimes.

Yet few if any of them were interviewed by police.

Photos of tattoos on Grimes posterior were also entered to line up with the teen’s intimate knowledge of her, but it was noted those pics were also common knowledge among the teens she taught.

Nor could the alleged victim say the exact day or even the month that the crime is alleged to have occurred, resorting to his phone to piece it together.

Evidence in the trial continues today, with at least another four days set aside for the matter.