A former West Kelowna teacher found guilty of sexually exploiting a student is being released from jail after serving just one year of his sentence.
Bradley Furman was sentenced to 38 months in prison on Feb. 11, 2020, for various charges related to his relationship with a 17-year-old student. He was given 11 months credit for time served.
On March 10, he was released on day parole and was residing at a community residential facility.
According to the Parole Board of Canada, Furman was assessed and was found to be at a low risk for sexual reoffending compared to others who have committed sexual offences. A psychologist believed he would be a suitable candidate for a conditional release.
Furman was arrested in May 2018 after RCMP was alerted to an inappropriate relationship with a minor.
The relationship between Furman and his student began during the 2017-2018 school year when he was 28 years old.
Things began to unravel after Furman called the girl out of two classes on May 1, 2018. This prompted suspicion from Furman’s co-workers, who brought the matter to school administrators.
Upon watching security footage of the two walking “too close,” the school’s principal and vice-principal had conversations with Furman and the girl separately.
The girl told the principal of the messages and the eventual progression into a sexual relationship.
READ MORE: Former West Kelowna teacher offers emotional apology to student he sexually exploited
Investigators subsequently obtained 2,700 pages of messages, some of which pointed to the relationship continuing for another 13 months after the initial arrest in May 2018.
Furman was arrested four times for breaching conditions of his bail, specifically for making contact with the girl and members of her family.
However, Furman did complete the sex offender program and was assessed as having high motivation, reintegration potential and medium accountability.
According to the parole board, Furman is employed and allowed to have a cell phone. It is not known where he will reside or which community he is employed in.
He is still not allowed to be in the presence of any female children under the age of 18 unless accompanied by a responsible adult who knows his criminal history. He must not have contact with the victim or her family, or possess a computer. Furman must follow a treatment plan laid out by his parole officer and report all sexual and non-sexual relationships with females.
READ MORE: West Kelowna teacher who sexually exploited student permanently loses teaching licence
The former Mount Boucherie teacher has also been permanently banned from the classroom.
The girl with whom Furman had an inappropriate relationship submitted a victim impact statement, during court proceedings, describing the detrimental effect Furman had on her life, including trauma-related depression, self-harm and suicidal tendencies.
