Ex-teacher pleads guilty

A 28-year-old female former teacher who previously worked at a local high school before being stood down has pleaded guilty to a string of sexual offence charges against two teenage girls.

The woman appeared in the Rockingham Magistrate’s Court on Monday to face the charges, which all occurred over the course of two years, from 2015-2017.

The Sound Telegraph understands police launched an investigation into the woman after one student last year made an allegation to the school she had previously been “in a relationship” with the teacher.

The woman pleaded guilty to 34 charges relating to one of the victims, who was between 13 and 16 years old at the time of the offences.

The court was told from September. 2015 to December, 2016, the woman indecently dealt with the victim nine times, and also sexually penetrated the victim 10 times between those dates.

On January 26, 2016, the woman also indecently dealt with the girl four times, and sexually penetrated her four times.

The court was also told of incidents relating to the same victim, where between January 26, 2016 and September of that year, the woman indecently dealt with the female victim three times and sexually penetrated her twice.

The woman also pleaded guilty to persistently engaging in sexual conduct with a child under the age of 16.

The former teacher also pleaded guilty to another 14 charges that related to another female victim, believed to be a student of hers, who was over 16 at the time of offending.

Between June and December, 2017, the woman also indecently dealt with the girl six times, and sexually penetrated her eight times.

In a statement to The West Australian in January, Education Department professional standards and conduct acting executive director Mike Cullen said the woman was arrested on July 20 last year, was stood down and ordered to remain away from all schools and was dismissed by the Department of Education shortly afterwards.

It is understood she had only been teaching in WA since 2013.

The woman was initially facing 71 charges but 23 of these, relating to an alleged third victim, were dropped by police.

The woman’s lawyer requested a psychological report and a pre-sentence report ahead of her sentencing in May.