Former Yorke Peninsula schoolteacher Thomas Ackland pleads guilty to multiple child-sex offences

A former teacher at an SA school has pleaded guilty to multiple child-sex offences in a surprising courtroom twist.

Ex-Kadina Memorial School teacher Thomas Ackland has pleaded guilty to child-sex charges. Picture: Facebook

A former Yorke Peninsula teacher has pleaded guilty to multiple child-sex charges spanning a period of more than three years.

Thomas Robert Ackland, 31, of Moonta Bay was scheduled to appear in the District Court on Tuesday for a pre-trial hearing but instead pleaded guilty to 14 child-sex charges.

Those charges included one count of maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child and 13 counts of aggravated communicating with the intention of making a child amenable to sexual activity.

A further eight counts of maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child were withdrawn.

Thomas Ackland outside court after an earlier hearing. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

He had earlier pleaded not guilty to all charges and was due to stand trial earlier this year.

Ackland is a former teacher at Kadina Memorial School who was banned from returning to the school after his arrest in March 2021.

At the time, Kadina Memorial School principal Alistair Williams said Ackland “was not permitted to attend the school pending the outcome of the police investigation and prosecution”.

He had also urged any parents of students at the reception-to-year 12 school with any information “that may assist the police investigation” to contact SA Police.

He also said he understood the information would be distressing for the school community.

Ackland will remain on bail ahead of his next court appearance in October.

At that pre-sentence hearing victim impact statements are expected to be provided to the court.