Former Jamison High teacher Aaron Wormald jailed for child abuse material, sexual touching

A former teacher, who sexually touched two students, and used a ‘high level of deception’ to manipulate children as young as 12 into sending explicit photos, has finally learned his fate over the ‘appalling and sinister conduct’.

Former high school teacher Aaron Wormald.

A predatory teacher from Sydney’s west has finally learned his fate, after pleading guilty to sexually touching two students in his care, assaulting a third and possessing and procuring thousands of child abuse material files.

Aaron James Wormald, former head of creative and performing arts at Jamison High, sat in the dock at Downing Centre District after previously pleading guilty to sexually touching two children, one count of common assault and 12 charges relating to possessing and soliciting child abuse material.

Aaron Wormald pictured here in 2019. Picture: Supplied

A police search warrant of his Winmalee home uncovered thousands of child abuse material files, depicting victims as young as nine, many of which he obtained by chatting with children online assuming a slew of fake identities.

Body worn footage tendered to a previous court showed Wormald’s home in a state of squalor, which Judge Turnbull said was “sobering, shocking” and reflected his severely depressed state of mind.

Disturbing details of Wormald’s online conduct were heard in court, prompting members of the public gallery to leave, including the lengths he went to deceive children and the “cruelty” depicted in the sick contents of his personal devices.

The manipulation techniques employed online by Wormald showed “insight” he’d gained from “dealing with children that age as a teacher and a mentor”, in what was a “sinister aspect” of his offending, Judge Turnbull said.

Aaron Wormald (left), former teacher at Jamison High, pictured with an unidentified person. Source: Facebook

“His exposure to this generation must have played a role in his capacity to engage in these interactions with the children he preyed upon,” he said.

“Early teenage life can be difficult enough without being subjected to this predatory behaviour.

“He reached through his computer and into the minds, lives and emotions of his victims,” Judge Turnbull said.

At a previous sentence hearing held on April 18, Wormald’s lawyer referred to his client as “profoundly disturbed” and a “sick individual” who had been battling alcoholism, loneliness and bipolar disorder for a decade prior to his arrest.

Judge Turnbull accepted Wormald was afflicted by mental health conditions including bipolar but noted that “despite his condition he was able to function as a teacher, and a head teacher”.

Aaron Wormald pictured in the classroom. Picture: Supplied

When assessing the severity of Wormald’s offending at Jamison High School, Judge Turnbull called it “brazen, and opportunistic”, involving “a breach of trust” at a place where the students “were entitled to feel safe”.

“Up to a point he had respect and regard for the student population before his misconduct began to unfold … it just got worse and worse,” he said.

“It became significant criminal misconduct which first manifested privately then into his professional career, you’re supposed to be supporting and nurturing children, and then in another life you’re completely against that.”

Aaron James Wormald was sentenced to 11 years, eight months jail with a non parole period of six years three months, backdated to June 2022.