Sexual offences nearly triple at Geelong educational facilities
Sexual offences in Geelong’s educational institutions have nearly tripled in the past year amid broader crime concerns including violence and weapons, with authorities now also battling the rise of AI-generated deepfakes and “nudify” applications.
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Geelong schools and universities saw sexual offences nearly triple over the past year as local education continues to grapple with crime.
After a year that saw fights, assaults, threats and weapons in and around local schools, authorities have also reported a rise in AI-generated deepfake material and use of so-called “nudify” apps.
Data released by the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) found 23 “sexual offences” were reported at educational sites in Greater Geelong between April 2024 and March 2025, a steep jump from just eight between April 2023 and March 2024.
Reports of stalking more than doubled, increasing from four reports in the 12 months to March 2024, to nine in the same period this year.
Over the same time frame, breaches of orders also increased from 14 to 22.
Assault offences dropped slightly from 35 in the 12 months to March last year, to 29 over the same period this year.
Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) spokesman Joel Dwyer said it was important to note this may include offences committed outside of school hours by non-students.
“There was a low number of sexual offending at Greater Geelong and Surf Coast education facilities over the past year - with only 23 incidents recorded at local schools, universities, and TAFEs,” he said.
“Most sex offences at schools relate to non-contact offending, such as the unauthorised sharing of intimate photos that have originally been shared by the victim.
Mr Dwyer said local police were not aware of any instances where AI technology had been used to create sexually explicit images in Geelong schools.
An eSafety spokesman said they had received thousands of reports in recent years from Australians affected by image-based abuse, including reports involving minors and the use of artificial intelligence to create fake, explicit images.
“In the 2023-24 financial year, we received 7,267 reports of image-based abuse,” he said.
“This compares with 9,060 in 2022-23, 4,169 in 2021-22 and 2,688 in 2020-21.
“These figures cover all age groups, but we know from reports and consultations that young people are disproportionately affected.
He said the team was also seeing a rise in image-based abuse including deepfake material and use of so-called “nudify” apps.
“While we don’t publish separate statistics on victims under 18, children as young as 12 have reported being targeted, including through explicit deepfake images,” he said.
St Joseph’s College is one of many schools in the area proactively addressing the link between media, respect and relationships, using school programs and workshops.
Principal Tony Paatsch said their school had robust and comprehensive age-appropriate programs in place to promote respectful relationships and educate students regarding consent and positive masculinity.
“While we are not seeing an increase in sexual offences at school (as reported in the CSA statistics), we are committed to providing all of our students with the knowledge and skills they need to be respectful law-abiding positive contributors to their community,” he said.
In March, a video of a Geelong student punching their peer in the head while riding a school bus circulated on TikTok, sparking pleas from parents for schools to tackle the “toxic” link between bullying and cyber-bullying.-
Similar pleas followed a Geelong Advertiser investigation which found at least 15 TikTok pages were employing bullying practices including shaming named students for smelling; listing students based on good looks; and discussing the relationship status of others, some of the videos being watched by hundreds of thousands of users.
According to CSA data, total reports of crime at education facilities have also continued to rise over the past half decade in Greater Geelong and the Surf Coast.
In Greater Geelong, crime reports at these institutions increased from just 162 from April 2020 to March 2021 to 234 crimes reported in April 2023 to March 2024 and April 2024 to March 2025.
Surf Coast educational facilities the total number of criminal incidents jumped from 14 to 21 over this time.
Crime on campus
Man arrested with machete outside Lara Secondary College
A 24-year-old man who police say was carrying a machete was arrested after a Lara school plunged into lockdown on May 30.
Officers were called to Lara Primary School at 8.40am following reports of a man acting suspiciously on Alkara Ave, which runs along the adjoining Lara Secondary College’s playing fields.
While conducting a search of the man’s bag, officers discovered and seized a machete.
It’s understood only the primary school was sent into lockdown during the incident.
The 24-year-old has since been arrested and is expected to be charged on summons with weapon offences.
Anger over alleged Geelong High School knife incident involving young students
A Geelong dad, who wished to remain anonymous to protect his son’s identity, says a Swiss Army knife was placed at his son’s throat at Geelong High on March 11 this year. The concerned parent said the boy was held at knifepoint during a physical education class. He pulled his son from the secondary school and is threatening legal action over the allegations.
A Police spokeswoman said they were aware of an alleged incident at a school in Geelong on 12 March but no official report had been made at this stage.
TikTok video shows Grovedale Secondary student punch peer in head
A video of a Geelong student punching their peer in the head while riding a school bus circulated on TikTok in March, sparking pleas from parents for schools to tackle the “toxic” link between bullying and cyber-bullying.
The footage, accompanied by the song ‘Violent’, showed a Grovedale Secondary College student reach across the seats of a school bus to punch the other student.
The video garnered 465 views on one page with multiple comments making light of the violence, including “so tuff”.
TikTok has since removed the video.
“You ate that up,” another comment read.
It’s understood the students in the video are younger than 13.
Parent Chloe Tippett, whose four children attend the school, said she was horrified by the video and wanted to know how the school would keep her children safe.
“I think social media is so toxic for our young people,” Ms Tippett said.
Geelong fitness model bashes 13-year-old near Western Heights College as schoolmates watch on
A Bell Park “fitness mum” Instagram model wore steel-capped boots when she kicked a 13-year-old girl in the ribs outside her daughter’s school.
Nikita Johnson, 36, faced the Geelong Magistrates Court in April on multiple assault-related charges from the January 31 incident.
Prosecutors explained how Johnson rushed toward a bus stop near Western Heights College in Hamlyn Heights, tying up her hair before asking the teen, “why are you calling my daughter a c--t?”
Johnson then made “a closed fist and punched the complainant to the face”, before using “her steel-capped boots to kick the complainant in the ribs”.
The court heard the girl was left bloodied, grazed and bruised by the assault, which was witnessed by “20 to 30 other children” waiting for the bus.
Magistrate Kimberley Swadesir rejected Mr Loftgood’s argument that prior incidents of bullying meant “the complainant had been the primary aggressor”.
“You can’t argue self-defence in relation to verbal”, she said.
“It’s extraordinary … there’s absolutely no reason your client should have approached that child.
“My view from watching the footage and from what I’ve heard is that there are actions there that have gone beyond self-defence”, she added.
She was convicted, fined $1000 and place on a two-year undertaking compelling her to complete anger-management training.
Gossip, slander and rivalry: Geelong school TikTok cyber-bullies exposed
Concerning TikTok pages were reported to be fuelling cyber-bullying trends among Geelong students, with videos being watched by hundreds of thousands of users.
A Geelong Advertiser investigation found at least 15 TikTok pages employing bullying practices including shaming named students for smelling; listing students based on good looks; and discussing the relationship status of others.
The revelation has boosted calls for social media to introduce age limits.
“It’s pretty cowardly for unnamed people to be ruining the names of others in such an open fashion, especially young school kids who don’t have the capacity to defend themselves,” said Dany Elachi, co-founder of the Heads Up Alliance.
“Stories like this are just going to keep popping up and we hope that the government is listening.”
TikTok pages such as “Geelong.ships”, “Ghs.yr.7.ships” ask commenters to reveal the relationship status of fully named students, most as young as 12.
Ships is Gen Z slang for relationship.
Other pages – including “GeelongGorgeous2”, “Geelong.preties.stuff”, and “prettygirlsgeelong” – follow the TikTok trend of reposting dancing videos of “pretty high school girls”.
Other sites attack specific students with their photos and captions such as “when you walk past this girl you might wanna hold your breath”.
“Geelong High School” posted a video of students throwing a fellow student in the air, with the comment “these Joeys boys are on smt (something)”.
The video received almost 370,000 views.
The pages have since been removed by TikTok.
It comes as the eSafety Commissioner received 2978 verified cyber-bullying complaints in 2024, a 455 per cent increase since 2019.
Video circulates online after alleged teen bashing near Portarlington beach
Shocking footage of a disturbing brawl allegedly involving teenagers from a Geelong high school circulated among students in February.
It is alleged the fight broke out between Bellarine Secondary College students on Pier St in Portarlington on January 27, over the Australia Day long weekend.
A parents of the school said she had been left “traumatised” after being shown the video.
The footage shows a teen being set upon by three girls before being brutally kicked in the body on several occasions as she lay on the ground.
She is then repeatedly punched in the head before being kicked in the face as she attempts to rise to her feet.
The video was shared among students at the school and on social media.
The principal of Bellarine Secondary College moved to reassure concerned parents that the school is safe following at least two recent assaults involving students at its senior campus in Drysdale.
Wayne Johannesen sent the email to parents on Wednesday afternoon – more than a week after the alleged January 27 assault and only after the Geelong Advertiser put questions to the Education Department.
Teen expected to be charged after suspicious fire burns through school
A 13-year-old girl was charged but not convicted following a fire at Northern Bay College’s Hendy St campus that damaged large parts of the school and forced its closure on October 8, 2024.
Students at the school were not able to return to the campus until the final few weeks of 2024, when they began working at temporary building.
Police said the fire started just after midnight on Tuesday and a crime scene was established.
Following the girl’s arrest, a police spokeswoman said the teen was later released and is expected to be charged on summons at a later date.
‘Disgusting’: Lewd questions at Geelong primary school, parents allege
A man working on-site at a Geelong primary school asked female students inappropriate questions about their attire, parents allege.
Officers from Geelong’s Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team were called to Mandama Primary School (MPS) on May 24 after a contracted worker allegedly asked two girls to show him if they were wearing a “crop top”.
The man was not a teacher or involved in a classroom role.
Police investigated the matter but no charges were laid.
A parent, who asked to remain anonymous as to protect her children’s identities, said she was deeply concerned about safety at the school.
Student pulls knife at Mandama Primary School
Parents have been left horrified after a boy pulled a knife at a Grovedale primary school on May 1 2024.
Mandama Primary School parent Jessie Ward said the student had a known history of behavioural issues.
Victoria Police spokesman First Constable Paul Hogan confirmed officers responded to reports of a primary school student “bringing a knife to school to show” other pupils.
He said there were no injuries and no threats.
“Teachers became aware and reported the incident to police,” he said.
“Officers attended and spoke to the student, school staff and the student’s parents.
“Support services have been provided to the student and their family.”
Ms Ward was distressed to find out about the incident from other parents on Thursday morning.
She said she quickly arranged to pick up her daughter after finding out, and contacted the school.
Ms Ward said she was told the offending child was back in the classroom on Thursday, but the school had done a “knife check”.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said there were no threats and no charges.
“Officers attended and spoke to the student, school staff and the student’s parents,” she said.
“Support services have been provided to the student and their family.”
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