milocole
Plane Nut
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It reached the media today. In Herald Sun/The Age/Geelong Advertsier.
news.com.au.
news.com.au.
Geelong Advertiser.School teacher had sex with student in closet
THE wife of a high school maths teacher wept as her husband was remanded in custody yesterday to be sentenced for having sex with a teenage student - including a liaison in a school closet.
Andrew Charles Beaumont pleaded guilty in the County Court in Geelong to nine charges including sexual penetration of a child under 16.
Beaumont, who arrived in Melbourne from England with his wife Sarah in February 2007, met his victim last year.
Prosecutor Kieran Gilligan said Beaumont, 30, had exploited the teacher/student relationship for his own sexual gratification.
Their liaison began in June last year and progressed through a fake MySpace page Beaumont set up.
"This allowed them to speak freely over the internet," Mr Gilligan said. They also spoke on their mobile phones.
The court was told kissing in a gym washroom led to several sexual encounters in Beaumont's car, at the girl's house and at the school.
The first time they had sex was at the victim's house after watching a movie while her parents were still at work. Mr Gilligan said the last time they had sex was in the school cleaner's closet.
Friends of the girl told their parents and a school co-ordinator of their suspicions about Beaumont.
"It's through these means the revelation of the relationship came about," Mr Gilligan said.
Philip Dunn, QC, for Beaumont, said his remorseful client had told police he was relieved his activities had been uncovered and the liaison was over.
"He has obviously made a very serious error of judgment in getting involved in these actions with a student who was clearly infatuated with him," Mr Dunn said.
"It's clear that he will never teach again. He knows he's going to jail. His wife obviously feels a gross breach of trust.
"She's here as a friend (rather than a wife) . . . the only person here (in Australia) with him . . . and their relationship is on the rocks."
Judge Felicity Hampel remanded Beaumont in custody for sentencing on February 18.
She said teachers, particularly young male teachers, were likely to become the object of schoolgirl infatuation and there had to be a clear understanding of boundaries and moral culpability
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au.../pictures/2009/01/30/beaumont_(360_x_381).jpgTeacher in court on student-sex charges
A GEELONG teacher had sex with an infatuated 15-year-old schoolgirl at her home and in a school toilet.
Western Heights College maths teacher Andrew Beaumont admitted to the two-month affair and his computer was also found with pornographic images of girls aged under 18.
The married 30-year-old pleaded guilty in the Geelong County Court yesterday to nine charges, including sexual penetration of a child in his care and possessing child pornography.
Crown prosecutor Kieran Gilligan said the Wyndham Vale man's fling with the girl started when he began teaching special lunchtime maths classes but the pair stopped talking amid school rumours of a student-teacher relationship.
Their affair started with a kiss in the high school gym and ended in August last year.
Mr Gilligan said the victim later found Beaumont on internet networking site MySpace, where the pair communicated.
He said Beaumont then created a fake MySpace account to enable them to speak more openly and they later exchanged mobile phone numbers.
Mr Gilligan said the pair were nearly caught out kissing at school several times and decided to take their attraction outside school grounds.
He said Beaumont drove them to a "quiet, dead end road" where they kissed on one occasion and had sex in his car another time.
The court was told Beaumont visited the girl's home and after watching a movie they had sex in her room.
Mr Gilligan said the pair also had sex in the school cleaner's closet cubicle.
Two of the victim's friends reported the matter to a school co-ordinator and a parent.
Defence counsel Philip Dunn said his client was regretful and knew he would be jailed.
"He has obviously made a very serious error in judgement in getting involved in these actions with a student who was clearly infatuated with him," Mr Dunn said.
He said the victim became frustrated with the defendant when he repeatedly asked her if she was ready to have sex and she told her teacher: "If you say I'm not ready anymore, I will hit you."
Mr Dunn said Beaumont moved from England and was planning on starting a family with his wife.
"All of those pillars of life, a married man, a job, a career ... all chopped away by his behaviour," Mr Dunn said.
"His wife was as keen as mustard to have a child.
"They saw Australia as the land of promise."
Judge Felicity Hampel said the girl came to Beaumont for help and he failed to discourage the student from her teacher-obsession.
"It's a gross breach of trust. He exploited that situation for his own sexual gratification."
Beaumont's estranged wife sobbed uncontrollably as he was led away from the dock and into custody.
He will be sentenced on February 18.