Dandenong High: paedophile teacher Timothy Richardson could have dozens more victims
A victim of convicted paedophile and former Dandenong High teacher Timothy Richardson said his attacker raped and assaulted dozens more boys. He has urged others to come forward.
South East
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One of Victoria’s worst convicted paedophile teachers, Timothy Richardson, raped and assaulted dozens more young boys, a victim has claimed.
“There are a lot more out there,” the man, who contacted the Leader, said.
He appealed to other victims to try to find the strength to come forward.
“They should come forward but only when they are ready. It was tough for me but the process has helped a little bit now that he is locked up.”
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Several others have written on an online forum that they had also been raped and indecently assaulted by Richardson.
Victoria Police said anyone who wanted to report an incident should contact their local police station and anyone with other information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Richardson, 82, was recently found guilty in the County Court of two counts of buggery and nine counts of indecent assault against multiple boys all aged under 16.
He raped and indecently assaulted his victims while they slept in a single bed with him at his Harkaway farm between January 1963 and June 1973.
One victim told the County Court how Richardson was a “predator” who raped him “80 to 100” times.
Richardson, a well-respected teacher at the time, would convince parents it was safe for their sons to go away on weekend camps with him.
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In 1975, he set up a business at the farm called Tangara Trail Bikes and students were invited to stay the weekend, camp in tents and ride bikes.
A former female student, who wanted to remain anonymous, said her brother attended one of the camps but she wasn’t allowed to go.
“My brother only went the once because he wasn’t allowed back, something about him revving a bike too loudly,” she said.
“My mother thought it was weird because my brother has always been well behaved and he didn’t like bikes but we were shaking after we read the article.
“We think he might have seen something.”
The former student said she felt sick when learning about Richardson’s crimes but it “explained a lot”.
“A lot of people I went to school with didn’t turn out good; there was a lot of drug addiction and suicide.”
Richardson worked at Dandenong High from 1963 to 1979. He briefly left in 1966 to work at Gippsland Grammar but returned a few months later.
He began working at Ferntree Gully Tech in 1985.
Richardson also held numerous positions over the years that brought him into contact with children and teens, including junior football coach, Scout leader and foster parent.
A court hearing to decide on the future of the Harkaway farm was adjourned yesterday and the court was told Richardson was seriously ill in hospital.
Sources say he collapsed shortly after he was remanded in custody last month.
He will be sentenced on February 21.
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