Detectives charge relief teacher with child exploitation offences

A relief worker has become the third teacher to be charged with possessing child exploitation material this week in Queensland.

A Redlands relief teacher has been charged with possessing child exploitation material after an investigation by the state’s child sex crimes unit.

Detectives from Task Force Argos arrested the 32-year-old Alexandra Hills man on Wednesday and charged him with five counts of possessing child exploitation material and using a carriage service to access child abuse material.

The Courier Mail understand the man was a part-time relief teacher who worked at a number of schools and is also believed to have been involved with scouts.

Police will allege that the man was accessing child abuse material through a publicly accessible cloud storage platform.

Another teacher, Lucas John Gill was charged this week with possessing child exploitation material and using a carriage service to access abuse material. Picture: Tara Croser.

Detectives allegedly discovered a number of electronic items, including a computer, phone, hard drives and online cloud storage accounts during the execution of a search warrant.

Investigations are underway to determine the identity of the victims in the CEM and whether they may be linked to the man.

He was released on strict bail conditions and is set to appear in the Cleveland Magistrates Court on August 24.

Primary school principal Justen Shawn Orford, 47, is accused of photographing girls. Picture: Shae Beplate

The 32-year-old is the third Queensland teacher this week to be charged with child exploitation offences.

Sports teacher Lucas John Gill, 41, from Mount Maria College in Mitchelton, was charged on Tuesday with possessing child exploitation material.

He faced the Brisbane Magistrates Court where he was granted bail on six charges.

North Queensland primary school principal Justen Orford, 47, was arrested and charged on Thursday after a two-month police investigation found he had allegedly been photographing girls.

He was refused bail and is due to appear in Townsville Magistrates Court on Friday.