Ex-Delcastle Technical High School teacher sentenced for raping former student

A onetime Delcastle Technical High School teacher and known local chef was sentenced to six years in prison for the rape of a former student.

James Berman, 50, pleaded guilty to two counts of fourth-degree rape and was sentenced to a pair of 15-year terms, each suspended after three years. He was also ordered to pay $3,981.31 in restitution.

Berman was arrested in June 2021 when Delaware State Police investigators showed up at his Wilmington home following a two-month investigation.

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He initially faced 11 felony charges including continuous sexual abuse of a child, eight counts of fourth-degree rape and two counts of second-degree unlawful sexual contact.

Berman had a sexual relationship with the student at the Prices Corner-area school beginning in October 2009 and lasting for more than a year, the investigation showed. Berman last worked for the New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District in 2014, officials said.

The investigation was launched on April 8, 2021, when the state police Criminal Investigations Unit was contacted by the state Division of Family Services.

Berman had been a well-known Wilmington-based chef, who spearheaded Operation Rolling Turkey, a grassroots feed-the-hungry organization. Berman and the nonprofit were featured in a Delaware Online/The News Journal article, published two weeks before police were contacted.

In the story about Berman's volunteerism during the pandemic, he told a reporter that he had used the time to reflect on his life and past decisions he had made.

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"This isn't me being benevolent. I've made a lot of wrong steps in my career and personal life. This is me trying to make a little bit of peace with the universe," he said at the time, declining to elaborate.

At the time of the interview, Berman worked as executive chef at the Chase Center on the Riverfront for the hospitality group Sodexo. He led the kitchen throughout the summer as it made meals for President Joe Biden's presidential campaign.

Esteban Parra contributed to this report. Contact Ryan Cormier of Delaware Online/The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier) and Twitter (@ryancormier).

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Ex-Delaware teacher James Berman sentenced in rape of former student