Ex-PE teacher Scott Korczynski struck up relationship with teen after he was dumped, court hears

Former teacher and footy coach Scott Korczynski struck up a sexual relationship with his student after suffering a “blow to his ego”, a court has heard.

Scott Korczynski was a PE teacher at Kurunjan Secondary College in Melton more than a decade ago when he targeted the year 12 student. Picture: David Crosling

A junior footy coach and PE teacher struck up a sexual relationship with his teenage student after suffering a “blow to his ego” when he was dumped by his fiancee, a court has heard.

Scott Korczynski was a PE teacher at Kurunjan Secondary College in Melton more than a decade ago when he targeted the year 12 student, who was just half his age.

During a plea hearing on Tuesday the court heard Korczynski, then aged in his 30s, regularly invited the 17-year-old into his school office and spend evenings together at footy matches at the MCG and Docklands stadium.

The court heard the victim would often bring her classmate along to act as a “buffer” in case others noticed Korczynski and the teenager alone together.

A judge dismissed the defence’s submission for Korczynski to be spared a term of imprisonment. Picture: David Crosling

In the months before the young victim turned 18, Korczynski, now 47, chauffeured her to debutante ball, before driving her to an empty housing estate, grabbing her and kissing her.

A few weeks later, the former TAC Cup and Under 19s football coach, picked his victim up from a birthday party and the pair had sex in the back of his car.

The court heard they continued the sexual relationship after the victim turned 18 and graduated high school and they introduced each other to their parents before she ended things two months later.

Korczynski, who most recently worked at Lakeview Senior College in Caroline Springs, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual penetration of a 17 year old child in his care earlier this year after the victim went to police in 2017.

Korczynski was only charged with the offending in 2020, before which time he had enjoyed a significant career as a football coach in the western suburbs, where he trained several players who would go on to be drafted by the AFL and VFL.

Defence lawyer David Hallowes SC said the father-of-two had made a “grave error” but the offending did not constitute a pattern of behaviour.

Judge Fiona Todd dismissed the defence’s submission for Korczynski be spared a term of imprisonment, saying a community corrections order didn’t “speak loudly enough” to the offending.

“Your client was suffering a blow to the ego, a blow to his plans for the future and it was easy to deal with that by seeking the affection of someone much younger, someone much less powerful than him, much less likely to challenge him,” Judge Todd said.

Mr Hallowes said a large part of Korczynski’s identity as a teacher and football coach at the Werribee Jets had been taken away due to his offending.

“He’ll clearly never teach again … any coaching of underage footballers is something he’ll never be able to do,” Mr Hallowes said.

“He won’t even be able to coach his children in Auskick.”

Prosecutor Natalie Burnett said the offending demonstrated a gross breach of trust which had had a long-lasting psychological effect on the victim.

“She had a right to feel safe,” Ms Burnett said.

Korczynski, who was supported in court by his wife, will be sentenced on Friday.