Caringbah teacher Ben Weldon to make mental health application for assaulting teen girls

A Sutherland Shire teacher will seek to have his charges of assaulting three teen girls dismissed. See the latest from court.

A Sutherland Shire school teacher has admitted to assaulting three teenage girls. Weldon in blue suit. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A former Sutherland Shire teacher who assaulted three teenage girls – allegedly telling one of them he loved and cared for them – will attempt to have his charges dismissed on mental health grounds.

Benjamin Weldon, 35, pleaded guilty to three counts of common assault on teenage girls, while two charges of intentionally sexually touching a child were withdrawn.

Agreed facts tendered to court said Weldon was working as a teacher at a Caringbah school and living in Condell Park while the victims were all aged under 13.

Detectives began investigating Weldon after they received a report involving one of the girls, and all three were interviewed.

The documents said Weldon approached the first victim and suggested he wanted to try a new game with her before he took her hands and tried to push her over.

A Sutherland Shire school teacher has admitted to assaulting three teenage girls. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Later that year, Weldon positioned himself behind his second victim while she walked out of a room and he crouched down and tried to put a bulldog clip on the bottom of her shorts, the documents said.

According to the court documents, Weldon failed to attach the clip but his hand came into contact with her bottom over the outside of her shorts, making her uncomfortable before she quickly walked away.

The third victim was also present and Weldon knelt down behind the girl and attempted to attach a bulldog clip to the bottom of her shorts but was unsuccessful, and in the process his hand made contact with her thigh area.

The girl also told investigators Weldon said to her on another occasion, “I love you and care for you”.

“You don’t want to ruin your modelling career. You are beautiful,” the documents said.

Weldon corroborated large parts of the girls’ versions during a police interview, including the touching and failed attempts to clip the shorts.

Ben Weldon is expected to be sentenced in June. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

He denied saying the phrases to the third victim, instead claiming he spoke to her in the context of encouraging her sporting achievements and said, “I love that you are doing this, this is great work”, the documents said.

Weldon, who now lives in Huskisson, was due to be sentenced in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday but the court heard a report had not been prepared because the psychologist treating Weldon did not have the proper qualifications nor expertise to author a report.

Weldon has made alternative arrangements to see another psychologist who will write a report next month.

Weldon’s lawyer also flagged he would make a mental health application under the Mental Health Act, which allows a magistrate to dismiss a charge and discharge the defendant into the care of a responsible person, to treatment or rehabilitation, or without conditions.

The lawyer said if Weldon was unsuccessful in the application, or did not qualify, the case would proceed to sentence immediately.

Magistrate Hugh Donnelly said the application should have been made sooner but granted the request.

The case was adjourned to June 26.