Former teacher Timothy Cordova, 28, jailed over child abuse material charges

A teacher who posed online as a teen girl to lure his students into sending him sexually explicit material had his jail time reduced for making “significant gains” in his sexual offender treatment.

A primary school teacher who posed online as a teenage girl to lure his students into sending him sexually explicit material will be eligible for parole in less than two years.

Timothy Cordova, 28, was sentenced at the County Court on Friday to four years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of 20 months after he encouraged 14 young victims to send him sexually explicit photos and videos.

The Herald Sun has not named the school to protect the identities of the victims.

In handing down his sentence, Judge Gavan Meredith said Cordova deserved a reduced sentence because he had shown “significant gains” in his sexual offender treatment.

“I will impose a non-parole period lower than would otherwise be the case and in particular, extend leniency to you in this regard,” Judge Meredith said.

Victims ranged between 11 and 16 years old. Picture: file image

Over a five-month period in 2020, Cordova created four fake social media profiles including an Instagram account purporting to be a 14-year-old girl named “Matilda Roberts” to trick his victims who were aged between 11 and 16.

In one instance, Cordova asked a boy to send a video of him “jerking off”.

Judge Meredith noted Cordova gained the trust of his victims by sending them child abuse material involving a pubescent girl.

Police uncovered more than 5600 child abuse files and 16 photo collages in Cordova’s home which included images from a school swimming carnival of students in their bathers.

In some instances, Cordova superimposed his victims’ faces onto sexually explicit images of others and he saved files under the names of students.

After his arrest, Cordova told investigators he initially created the fake profiles for a “bit of fun” and to meet lesbians as he had never had a sexual relationship.

A former primary teacher posed as a teenage girl online to trick students into sending him nude images. Picture: file image

During a pre-sentence hearing on Tuesday, one student said he had “lost trust” in people and now lived with social anxiety due to Cordova’s offending.

“I’ve hit some really low points,” he said.

“It became a struggle to wake up in the morning.”

Crown prosecutor Krista Breckweg urged the judge to jail the former teacher, who pleaded guilty to 17 charges including soliciting and producing child abuse material, for at least three years for his “prolific” and “targeted” offending.

“He pretends to be a teenager girl with a fake picture, specifically because that was the way he was going to get what he wanted from them,” she said.

Cordova will also be registered as a sex offender for life.

Victims were asked to send explicit videos and photos of themselves. Picture: Nikki Short