Predator teacher posed as teen girl online to entrap students

A Victorian teacher who masqueraded as a teenage girl online to dupe students and produce child abuse material has been banned from accessing the internet.

A Victorian teacher has pleaded guilty to producing child abuse material.

A Victorian schoolteacher is banned from accessing the internet after admitting he ­posed as a teenage girl online to entrap dozens of male students.

Timothy Patrick Cordova pleaded guilty to 17 offences relating to soliciting and producing child abuse material when appearing in a virtual Melbourne Magistrates’ Court hearing on Tuesday — his 27th birthday.

An earlier court heard how Cordova used an Instagram account under the fake name “Matilda Roberts” to communicate with students, asking them to send photos of their “d--ks” and “junk”.

He also requested videos of the young males performing sexual acts.

The child abuse material was then used for his own sexual gratification.

Cordova has taught home economics, maths and reading classes at St Mark’s Primary Catholic School in Dingley Village, St Francis De Sales Primary in Lynbrook and Killester Girls’ College in Springvale.

He also ran a magic club and cards club during school lunch breaks.

Police initially charged him with 31 offences, before later adding more charges, taking the total to 67.

But the court heard the case had resolved to a plea of guilty to 17 charges following negotiations with the prosecution.

Charge sheets reveal he “did use a carriage service to cause child abuse material to be transmitted to himself via the online platform Instagram”.

His victims are understood to have been past and present pupils from schools at which he had taught.

Detectives from the Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team raided Cordova’s home in Rowville on June 26 last year, seizing computers and hard drives.

An analysis of the electronic devices uncovered child abuse material in hidden folders titled “boys on boys” and “boys sex duo”.

The full names of some schoolchildren were used in folders, allowing police to easily identify his victims.

Collages where head shots of students from yearbooks were superimposed on child abuse material were also found.

Cordova, whose teaching registration has been suspended, will face a pre-sentencing hearing in the County Court in May.

Until then, he must live with his ex-policeman uncle; only leave the house when supervised; abide by an 8pm-6am curfew; and not access the internet.