Former Geelong High teacher Luke Martin sentenced for child abuse offences

A Geelong High student was groomed by their teacher a court has heard. Luke Martin will spend years behind bars, a judge said.

Luke Joseph Martin pleads guilty to sexual offences. Picture: Supplied

A former Geelong High School teacher who groomed and performed sex acts on a female student has been jailed for four years.

Luke Joseph Martin, 42, pleaded guilty to involving a child in the production of child abuse material, accessing child abuse material and multiple counts of sexual penetration of a child.

During sentencing on Thursday, County Court Judge Michael Bourke said Martin’s actions were a gross breach of trust.

“The breach of trust in matters such as this is high,” Judge Bourke said.

Martin’s offending came after a difficult period in the student’s life, the court heard.

Judge Bourke said the father-of-two’s actions betrayed his responsibilities as a teacher and had substantially affected the victim.

The court heard the victim now experiences “nightmares” and “flashback images”, and feels some self disgust.

The court was told Martin’s conduct during a five-month period included meetups at his house while his partner was away, near the school and at a reserve in the Geelong area.

Martin contacted the student via a school system and obtained the student’s mobile number, the court was told during an earlier hearing.

During Thursday’s hearing the court was told Martin exchanged 40,000 messages, and 5000 images with the student, the majority of a sexual nature.

At one point during the offending Martin told the victim to create an online drive to exchange sexually explicit material to avoid detection.

Judge Bourke said Martin’s offending was fuelled by his self-esteem issues and a desire for attention.

Martin’s six-year relationship with the mother of his young children is now over, the court was told.

The court heard when Martin was interviewed by police in May 2022 he chose to remain silent.

By August 2022 Martin indicated he would plead guilty.

Martin’s official guilty plea in court was made last month.

Judge Bourke said Martin’s early guilty plea expressed his remorse, facilitated justice and meant the victim didn’t have to be cross examined.

Martin will be jailed for two years before he is eligible for parole, Judge Bourke said.

He said if Martin didn’t plead guilty he would have been sentenced to five-and-a-half years jail with a three-year non-parole period.

Originally published as Former Geelong High teacher Luke Martin sentenced for child abuse offences