Mark Richards: Riverina school employee sentenced to jail for child sex offence

A Riverina school employee has been sentenced for grooming a teenage student by sending pictures of him masturbating and his sex toy collection through Snapchat.

A Riverina school employee has confessed to grooming a teenage student by sending pictures of him masturbating and his sex toy collection through social media application Snapchat.

Mark Richards, 41, appeared by videolink at Wagga Wagga District Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to eight offences, including grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity, aggravated sexual intercourse with child (aged between 14 and 16) and possession of a prohibited weapon.

The court heard Richards met the victim as coach of an all-girls school sports team he coached and began messaging her on Snapchat.

Mark Richards.

The messages between the learning support employee and teenage victim became increasingly sexual, with a number of raunchy pictures swapped.

In August 2019 the victim’s mum discovered the messages and had an apprehended violence order put in place, but the pair continued speaking through an online game on social media.

On one occasion Richards began interrogating the 15-year-old girl about an age-appropiate male friend and when told the victim hadn’t been sexually intimate, he said: “Good because its such a precious thing that I want”.

The court heard in early 2020 Richards told the teenager he wanted to have sex with her and asked her to bring a towel to a park.

At the park the school employee kissed and groped the victim before attempting to have sex with her. When that didn’t go to plan, he looked at her and ejaculated on the ground

Judge Gordon Lerve said Richards’ position of trust made the crimes more serious.

“The offender’s conduct was extremely persistent and involved not only the messages, the photographs and the videos but also included purchasing gifts,” he said.

“The age difference was in the order of 25 years and therefore very significant, the offender became jealous when the victim began to socialise with age appropriate males.

“Given the period over which the offending occurred, the nature of the offending including the persistent and ongoing nature of the offending, the position of trust and the age difference the grooming charge is above mid-range.”

Richards was sentenced to six years and six months with a non parole period of four years and four months. He will be eligible for parole on April 2025.