Teacher Craig Liefting pleads guilty to sexually assaulting students at Victorian school
A popular Victorian primary school teacher was under investigation and allowed to keep working for years before he admitted to sexually assaulting two students in his classroom, a court has heard.
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A Victorian primary school teacher who sexually assaulted two students was allowed to keep teaching following an internal investigation, a court has heard.
Craig Liefting, 49, fronted the County Court on May 19 after pleading guilty to three charges of indecent act with a child under the age of 16.
Liefting’s victims were primary school students he taught in the past decade.
Liefting’s lewd acts on both victims occurred in a classroom and his office.
He assaulted a victim in front of other students, the court heard.
Liefting assaulted the other victim multiple times over a two-year period, the court heard.
He made the girl sit under his desk and commit lewd acts.
Liefting also offended against the girl during a school sanctioned event.
An education support worker witnessed Liefting at the school in a compromising position with a student in 2016.
The court heard the principal conducted an “internal investigation” but Liefting – who denied the allegation – remained at the school.
Liefting was known to favour certain students, the court heard.
Liefting was teaching at Wonthaggi Primary School by the time he was under police investigation in late-2019.
He was suspended by the Victorian Institute of Teaching not long after.
Liefting’s victims came forward after learning he had been charged.
A victim said she was “shocked and scared” while the offending took place.
“Everyone thought he was the best teacher, that he was amazing, everyone wanted him as a teacher,” the victim said.
“I thought how someone who we thought was so good could just be disgusting, scary.”
Liefting’s other victim said she was “scared of what he would do if I said no”.
“I was scared he was going to hurt me or something,” the victim said.
Liefting’s school peers later said his conduct with students made them “uncomfortable”.
Colleagues said Liefting used a gym ball as a teaching seat and would often sit “open legged” near students.
The court heard Liefting often acted “affectionate” to the girls and “quite rough” with the boys.
Liefting was also seen at the school with a tube of thick lubricant he carried in a “particular bag”.
Judge Anne Hassan will sentence Liefting on May 28.
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