Ex-Scotch teacher Andrew Grant pleads guilty to child porn
A man who has taught and headed multiple elite Melbourne and international schools has pleaded guilty to multiple child porn offences.
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A teacher and international principal with a decade-long career at Scotch College has pleaded guilty to multiple child porn offences.
Andrew Robert Grant, 59, entered a plea of guilty to 15 charges at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
The charges included 10 counts of obtaining child abuse material while in Singapore and outside Australia, two counts of soliciting material, two of possession and one of distribution on multiple dates between May to December in 2019.
A further six charges were struck out after agreement between the defence and prosecution.
Those removed charges included four counts of obtaining child abuse material and two of distribution.
AFP officers swooped on Grantat Melbourne Airport in December 2019, after he got off an international flight.
It’s understood he had been working as the principal of international school Dafna Primary Campus in Doha, Qatar, before he was arrested.
Online searches also show he worked in leadership roles at A’takamul International School in Kuwait and Harrow International School in Beijing after leaving Scotch in 2015.
When the Herald Sun contacted Grant in February about his arrest, he labelled it “a total misunderstanding” and said that publishing a story would only seek to embarrass him.
In arguing against the publishing of the matter, Grant stated it was his birthday the following day, and he had to attend a family event at the weekend.
“I’m very confident it will be resolved and be shown to be a complete misunderstanding,” he said at the time.
Appearing at the virtual Melbourne Magistrates Court, Judge Jack Vandersteen asked Grant if he pleaded guilty or not guilty.
“Guilty, your honour,” he replied.
Grant worked in the junior school at Scotch from 2003 to 2015 and as Head of Bradshaw House and Scout Master for 1st Hawthorn Scotch College before leaving to go abroad.
Prior to Scotch, he worked at Eltham College and Penleigh and Essendon Grammar over a three-decade teaching career.
A 2014 interview with Grant published on the Scotch website states that the junior school “continues to be blessed by his enthusiastic and lively presence. Long may it continue.”
Scotch principal Tom Batty earlier said the school did not have any record of concern or complaint regarding Grant’s time there.
The school did not wish to comment following the guilty plea.
Grant will return to the County Court for a plea hearing on December 14.