Teacher’s secret relationship with student ends in courtroom custody battle

A NSW teacher was jailed for a secret sexual relationship with an underage student. He then launched an audacious custody battle for their three children.

A teacher who was jailed for having a sexual relationship with an underage student at his school then tried to get custody of their three children after his release.

The man was almost 30 years old when he exploited a “massive power imbalance” and “corrupted” the girl, who was aged under 16 and a student at the school where he worked, the Family Court of Australia was told.

Given its illegal nature, the pair – who cannot be named because of laws that protect the identities of parties before the Family Court – kept their relationship ­secret.

But it was exposed after the man launched an audacious custody battle for their three children in a case that lasted for more than 10 years.

In 2012, the man applied for custody of their two older children in Family Court. The third child was not born.

The man claimed the mother was suicidal, threatening to flee the country with their children and convinced a judge to grant him sole custody of the children in July 2013.

The father told several lies during the case, including that he and the mother began living together on her 16th birthday.

He also did not say he had been a teacher at her school when their relationship began.

The man also claimed their relationship had long since broken down but neglected to reveal the woman was pregnant with their third child during the hearing.

After the birth, the father made another custody application to the court.

It came before another judge, Judge Salvatore Vasta, who was suspicious.

He questioned why the father would want sole custody of the children over the mother when, on his evidence, they all lived in the same house.

The mother then revealed in evidence that she had been under the age of 16 and his student when the father formed a relationship with her.

In July 2016, Judge Vasta ordered an investigation into the legality of the relationship and whether the father had lied to the court and coerced the mother into covering it up.

The father was charged with 10 criminal offences, including indecent treatment of the child under 16.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three and a half years jail, with all but 10 months suspended.

After being released, the father continued the custody battle.

It was refused by Judge Vasta, who granted custody to the mother and banned the father from any future contact with the children.