A former educator charged with the sexual abuse of a child at a greater Darwin school holiday program had recently worked in the classrooms of a school in the Darwin area, the ABC can reveal.
The 40-year-old man was arrested by Northern Territory Police last month and charged with an indecent touching or act and sexual grooming of a child aged under 16 years.
NT Police said the alleged offending occurred the week of his arrest on June 26. In his first court appearance on June 29, Judge Therese Austin said the former educator was alleged to have abused a “very young child” in his care.
The man’s name and information about the school in question cannot be made public due to laws restricting details of alleged sex offences being revealed prior to an individual being committed for trial.
An email to parents has revealed the man facing charges has worked in at least one primary school in the NT. (ABC News: Cason Ho)
The NT is the last remaining Australian jurisdiction in which the identities of alleged sex offenders are legally suppressed until they stand trial.
In an email seen by the ABC that was sent on July 1, one school told parents the accused “was also employed at an NT government school”, but did not specify at which school the man had worked.
“The staff member involved is no longer working at the holiday program or any NT government school and Safe NT have been notified,”
the email said.
The NT Department of Education said it could not confirm that parents and guardians at the school where the man had worked were informed of his previous connection to their child’s classroom.
The man was refused bail last month due to the age of the child and “the context” in which the incident allegedly occurred. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)
The department declined to say whether he had worked in more than one school, whether he was contracted to any school at the time of his alleged offending, or whether he had a history of complaints or breaches of care.
“The department takes all matters of child safety seriously and has taken appropriate steps to support students, staff and families,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson also declined to elaborate on what actions were taken.
“As the matter is before the courts, the department cannot comment further,” they said.
Multiple sources have told the ABC that the accused had worked in a classroom role at a specific school in the Darwin area.
Judge denies bail
At the first hearing in Darwin Local Court after his arrest, the former educator’s lawyer made an application to be released on bail and reside at his mother’s house. That was refused by Judge Austin.
“Given the age … of the complainant and the context in which the [alleged] offending has occurred, I’m not prepared to grant your client bail today,” she said.
The court heard a “child forensic interview” with the alleged victim had detailed “very serious” allegations of sexualised contact while the accused was an educator at the school holiday program, somewhere in the greater Darwin region.
Judge Austin said the accused could be granted bail at a future hearing, after his lawyers were given access to the police interview with the alleged victim.
“The Crown case appears relatively strong, given there’s a child forensic interview which has made very specific disclosures,”
she said.
“That’s something that should be looked at very closely given the nature of what’s alleged.”
The man is next due to appear in court in August.
