Teacher at East Doncaster school charged in lewd picture sting
A teacher from a school in East Doncaster has been charged with sending a lewd image to a girl. Police posed as the teen online in the international sting that led to the teacher’s arrest.
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A primary school teacher has been arrested in an international sting after allegedly sending lewd images to a 13-year-old girl in the United States.
Milgate Primary teacher Liam Paul Wilkinson, 25, faces charges that if convicted, could prevent him from ever teaching again.
The Herald Sun understands Mr Wilkinson was arrested after allegedly sending a girl in America a lewd image through social media app Snapchat.
It’s understood once police in the States were informed by the girl and her family of an image sent to her over the internet, officers continued contact by posing as the girl and launched an investigation with Australian authorities.
Australian Federal Police officers raided Mr Wilkinson’s Warrandyte home on Monday, June 3, where he was arrested and later charged.
The Grade 5 teacher faces one charge of using a carriage service to transmit indecent material to a person under the age of 16.
The charge does not relate in any way to his employment at Milgate Primary.
Mr Wilkinson will not return to his job at the public primary school in East Doncaster until the matter is fully investigated.
His teaching registration has been suspended on an interim basis by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT).
The Victorian Government does not allow people convicted of sexual offences to work in its schools.
It comes after 25 Victorian teachers were convicted of a sex offence in three years, including 10 last year alone.
A further 53 teachers were suspended on an interim basis under the teaching watchdog’s strengthened powers in the three years to 2018.
The VITs powers were strengthened in 2016, giving it the authority to suspend those who posed an unacceptable risk of harm to children, whether that be due to their conduct, criminal charges, health issues that could impact their ability to teach or issues with drug and alcohol dependency.
Prior to 2016, many of those people would have been able to remain in the classroom as only teachers charged with a sexual offence could then be suspended.
When asked about the matter regarding Mr Wilkinson, a Department of Education spokeswoman said “it would be inappropriate” to comment as it was before the courts.
“The safety of students is always our top priority,” she said.
Mr Wilkinson faced the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for a filing hearing last Friday.
He will return to court for a committal mention on October 11.