Sydney teacher charged after allegedly posing as teenager to groom 14-year-old girl

Thursday, 26 March 2026 13:16

Police will allege that the conversations began eight days ago, before the parents "promptly' alerted authorities.

A Sydney high-school teacher has been charged after allegedly posing as a teenager online while asking for explicit material from a girl in exchange for money.

Investigations began after the 14-year-old girl's parents reported she had been chatting online with the 29-year-old Newington College music teacher, who allegedly posed as a 17-year-old boy while trying to get the girl to send him sexually explicit material over the internet in exchange for money.

This led to police searching a house in Sydney's north in a pre-dawn raid today, where the man was arrested.

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The man was refused bail, and will face court today.

Police raided a home in Sydney's north in the early hours of the morning.

Multiple electronic devices were seized from the property, and police will allege child abuse material was uncovered.

He was taken to Gladesville Police Station, where he was charged with using a carriage service to groom someone under 16 years old for sex and using a carriage service to access child abuse material.

Commander of the Sex Crimes Squad, Detective Acting Superintendent Karl Leis, said it was "encouraging to know that the child did have conversations with their parents, who in turn alerted authorities".

Police will allege that the conversations began eight days ago, before the parents "promptly" alerted authorities.

Multiple electronic devices were seized from the property, and police will allege child abuse material was uncovered.

Commander of the Sex Crimes Squad, Detective Acting Superintendent Karl Leis.

"At no point in time upon becoming aware of the matter was the child put at any risk or put in danger," Leis said.

"We will allege that the 29-year-old actively took steps online to reach out to this vulnerable 14-year-old girl who was not known to him."

Police say the amount of money allegedly offered to the girl was "not a significant sum".

"If there are any children who have been victims of this particular [alleged] predator, come forward [and] speak to their parents to report these matters to the police," Leis said.

The man was refused bail to appear in court today.

Police say they are "thoroughly investigating" the matter.

In a statement, Newington College said they were made aware of the matter today and had terminated the casual staff member's employment.

"Police have informed us that no Newington students, or students we have been recently associated with, have been identified as having been involved," the statement reads.

The college said the teacher "completed all mandatory child protection training" and held a valid Working with Children's Check with no complaints about his behaviour.

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