Wangaratta music teacher Wayne Robinson sentenced to jail
A vile predator jailed for raping a boy and sexually assaulting several other music students did so while presenting as a “happily married teacher of great public standing”, leaving his traumatised victims ashamed, angry and guilt-ridden.
Leader
Don't miss out on the headlines from Leader . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A well-respected Wangaratta music teacher will spend at least seven years and 10 months behind bars for raping a boy and sexually assaulting several other students over a number of years.
Wayne Robinson, 47, was sentenced at the County Court today after earlier pleading guilty to 19 charges including sexual penetration of a child under 16 and committing an indecent act on a child under his care or supervision.
Robinson used his position as a popular and trusted teacher at Wangaratta music school Northern Rivers Academy of Music to groom and assault his underage male victims.
The vile predator raped one boy three times and sexually assaulted eight others over a 10-year period at the Academy, the Boorhaman North home he shared with his wife and two daughters and a holiday home.
He used the promise of music scholarships to groom some of his victims.
One victim – who was assaulted “10-20” times – said in an impact statement what happened would never go away “no matter how hard I try”.
“As an adult, I am beginning to grasp just how much it cost me when I was a young person,” he said.
“Even though I was only a child, I feared I would be blamed. I still carry these fears, and feelings of guilt and shame today.”
PREVIOUSLY: MUSIC TEACHER RAPED BOY, ASSAULTED SEVERAL MORE
He said he would “feel so incredibly angry at times and beat myself up” as an adolescent but in recent times, improved after a lot of hard work.
“The trauma hasn’t left, but it doesn’t overwhelm me to the same degree it used to, and I’m finding more and more ways to manage it rather than it manage me,” he said.
Another victim – who was lured with offers of a $14,000 music scholarship he never received – said he “felt ashamed”.
He said he tried to block out what had happened through drugs and self-punishment.
“My self-worth was extremely low. I have attempted to take my life twice. If I had died during either of those attempts, no one would have known why.”
Another victim, who was molested by Robinson on multiple occasions while they watched Star Wars movies together, said he was upset after being hit by his father.
His grandmother had also died at the time, his uncle was in a car accident and did not know Robinson’s actions were wrong until a later conversation with his mother.
“(I) wanted to do things to get my mind off everything bad,” he said.
“Because of what (Robinson) did, I don’t like to be with anyone one-on-one because I do not feel safe.”
Judge Paul Higham, in sentencing Robinson to 11 years, six months jail, said the disgraced teacher “nurtured a deviant sexual interest in adolescent and pre-pubescent males” while presenting as a “happily married teacher of great community and public standing”.
“Whilst of course such statements must not be allowed to overwhelm the sentencing process, no one can be in any doubt of the traumatic and lasting impact of your offending upon your victims,” Judge Higham said.
“By slow and incremental steps and pretences, always at your direction and initiation, and with equal traumatic impact upon the emotional and sexual development of your victims, you reduced your victims to mere objects to be used by you in satisfaction of your deviant desires.
“In the process, you took from them their innocence and their love of music.
MORE NEWS
SPIKE IN SHOOTINGS SPARKS FEARS FOR INNOCENT LIVES
BENDIGO POKEMON GO PLAYER STABBED OVER CIGARETTE
‘BONNIE AND CLYDE’ $7K BOOZE MYSTERY
Judge Higham said Robinson’s offending was “callous” and “brazen”.
“Your moral culpability for your offending is high indeed,” he said.
“The sentencing process cannot give back to your victims that which they feel has been taken from them.”
Robinson will be eligible for parole after seven years and 10 months.