Police allege assistant principal posed as a girl online to lure boy victims

EXCLUSIVE: A Sydney assistant principal charged with sexually abusing 15 students in a classroom allegedly used Facebook and superhero dress-up events to groom boys.

Wattle Grove Public School. The accused was a teacher at the school for seven years.

AN assistant school principal charged with sexually abusing 15 students in a classroom ­allegedly groomed his victims by bribing them with fake money and befriending some of them through an unofficial school Facebook page.

Police will allege Shane Andrew Matthews assumed the pseudonym of a 15-year-old girl and in once instance befriended one of his victims through Facebook before tricking the young boy into sending a number of images of himself, according to tendered court documents.

One of the child victims allegedly told police investigators he was invited to join a Facebook page for ex-students of Wattle Grove Public School in Sydney’s west and was then befriended by a girl who called herself Sarah Peters, who police now believe was really Matthews.

Police allege Matthews assumed the pseudonym of a 15-year-old girl to befriend one alleged victim.

School principal Shane Matthews is facing numerous child abuse charges.

He has been charged at Campbelltown Local Court with more offences, which means he is now facing a total of 90 charges relating to the indecent assault and sexual abuse of boys aged between 10 and 12 over a period of about 10 years.

The 30-year-old was first arrested in September last year and charged with 14 offences but police have continued to lay extra charges over the past six months as ­another dozen alleged victims have come forward.

Most of the alleged abuse occurred in a classroom during lessons or private tutorials between 2011 and 2015 and allegedly involved Matthews asking students to commit acts of indecency on themselves, as well as making them allow him to perform sexual acts on them.

The abuse of one victim, who was not a student, dated back as far as 2005.

Matthews, who also taught dance classes and organised eisteddfods, was a teacher at Wattle Grove Public School for seven years before becoming an assistant principal at Woodland Road Public School at the start of last year.

NSW Police child abuse detectives allege Matthews groomed his victims and often encouraged them to perform or receive sexual acts by giving them fake money, which they could then use to buy Smiggles stationery items at class auctions.

Many of the auctions, at which allegedly abused students bought prizes, were held on “Super Hero” days, when Matthews would on occasion dress up as “Captain Obvious” and students would dress up as their favourite characters.

Matthews frequently dressed up as “Captain Obvious” as part of school “Super Hero” days.

A Wattle Grove Public School newsletter announcing Matthews’ departure ­a year before his arrest described him as a “wonderful asset” to the school who would be “sorely missed”.

“Mr Matthews has also proven to be a very popular teacher with the students in his care, with units of work on Super Heroes legendary,” the newsletter stated.

The officer in charge of Strike Force Verletta, Detective Senior Constable Rob Potts, said Matthews was a trusted teacher, loved by parents and students and spent a lot of his time doing extra-­curricular activities.

“Police believe the accused has been calculating, has planned the assaults, which have been deceptive in their ­nature,” Detective Senior Constable Potts said.

“He befriended parents of vulnerable children.”

Days after Matthews’ arrest at his Bradbury home, police seized a ­number of items that ­contained hundreds of ­images and videos of child pornography.

Matthews remains in custody and is expected to front Campbelltown Local Court in May.

If anyone wishes to speak to police about this matter in strict confidence they are encouraged to contact Liverpool Child Abuse Squad through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.