Former drama teacher Keith Bates-Willie jailed for 21 years for decades of student abuse
A judge has condemned the crimes of a former drama teacher as those of a 'worthless person’ while sentencing him to prison for sexually abusing students at three schools. The latest from court.
A Hobart judge has called the sexual abuse of students by a former Hobart theatre teacher “acts of a morally and socially worthless person” and as some of the “most serious cases” he has seen before handing down a sentence on Friday.
Keith Athol Bates-Willie was sentenced to 21 years in prison, backdated to August 2025, with a non-parole period of 11 years.
Following a three-week trial, the 71-year-old was found guilty of all 14 charges against him, comprising one count of rape, four counts of the persistent sexual abuse of a child, one count of aggravated sexual assault, and eight counts of indecent assault.
The court heard the abuse was committed against multiple male students while Bates was a drama teacher and noted theatre director at three separate Hobart schools — Rosetta High School, Kingston High School and Rosny College — between 1979 and 2006.
Defence counsel Jessie Sawyer gave her closing address in Hobart’s Supreme Court, noting that Bates’ ailing health and older age should be considered when handing down a prison sentence.
“Mr Bates stands before you in the knowledge that he is going to receive a long prison sentence, and he was aware of that since he was taken into custody in August,” she said.
“He stands before you knowing he will likely die in prison.”
Ms Sawyer also tendered a psychiatric report on Mr Bates, which she said indicates he is at a low risk of reoffending.
“His last offending was some 19 years ago in 2006,” she said.
“The report states that the level of risk for Mr Bates was low risk.
“The report says he met the criteria for other paraphilic disorders and concludes that due to old age and the passage of time and also being in a relationship, it’s possible this disorder has decreased and that risk of offending from it is low.”
“The report says Mr Bates should also avoid any contact with children under the age of 10,” Supreme Court Justice Stephen Estcourt said.
Justice Estcourt also stopped some submissions for mitigating factors in sentencing from Ms Sawyer, including that sentencing should be lessened as there was “a lack of violence”.
“That’s not a submission you can make in this day and age,” Justice Estcourt said.
“These are crimes of violence – sexual violence.”
The court heard that Mr Bates was likely to return to a protective unit inside prison, and that he was subject to abuse by other inmates.
In handing down the sentence, Justice Estcourt labelled the “most serious case” he has seen.
“There were no mitigating circumstances in this case, but many aggravating circumstances,” he said.
“The defendant has shown no remorse, and while he is entitled to plead not guilty, he has caused his victims to relive their abuse by giving evidence in court.
“Egregiously, he also labelled them as ‘liars’ and ‘copycats’ engaged in fraudulent pursuit of compensation from the Department of Education.
“He did not once look at or acknowledge any of his victims in court during the reading of victim impact statements and the state’s sentencing submissions.
“He has not acknowledged his crimes, and that causes me concern”.
Justice Estcourt said the jury also heard the evidence provided by 16 witnesses in the case, which helped to show the “overwhelming guilt of the accused”.
“This is a most serious example of sexual predation and abuse, given the imbalance of power and the terrible breach of trust involved, and also given the number of sexual assaults and the length over which they occurred,” he said.
“Conduct of this nature has profound and deleterious physical and psychological effects on victims for many years, if not for the whole of their lives.
“The victim impact statements I have received demonstrate the enormous, far-reaching, enduring and devastating effects the crimes have had on the lives of his victims and their families.”
Bates was also ordered to be listed on the Community Protection Offenders Register.
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Originally published as Former drama teacher Keith Bates-Willie jailed for 21 years for decades of student abuse
