Staughton College teacher’s aide Nicole Woods jailed for sexually abusing student
A judge has questioned the remorse of a teacher’s aide who repeatedly assaulted a 15-year-old student while working at Melton’s Staughton College, saying it “defies belief” she thought the victim could legally consent to the sexual intercourse.
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A teacher’s aide who sexually abused a 15-year-old student because she wanted to feel “liked” has been jailed for at least Two-and-a-half years.
Nicole Woods repeatedly assaulted her teenage victim for six months while working at Melton’s Staughton College.
The then 51-year-old was using ice daily and had just escaped two violent relationships when she targeted her student who was 36 years her junior.
The offending took place at the back of the classroom, during lunchtime or after school and even at a school athletics day, the court heard.
Woods also sent the boy photos of herself topless, which he then shared with his friends.
Facebook messages sent by Woods to the victim suggesting she could “play with him” in her office was evidence of premeditation, the County Court heard on Tuesday.
“This was not isolated, or spontaneous offending,” Judge George Georgiou said.
As a result of the prolonged abuse, her victim now an adult, continues to suffer PTSD and anxiety.
He told the court he had “lost his innocence”.
Woods, now 55, initially claimed the relationship was consensual and attempted to justify her predatory behaviour saying: “he didn’t look like a five-year-old”.
The disgraced teaching assistant later conceded her actions were the “lowest thing (she) could ever do” and admitted she had felt “wanted and liked” by the victim.
Judge Georgiou said he had difficulty accepting Woods’ remorse, stating she had failed to accept full responsibility for her actions almost four years on.
“Your offending is unquestionably serious,” Judge Georgiou said.
“The community and parents have every right to expect when their children attend school they will be protected and not preyed upon,” he said.
Judge Georgiou rejected Wood’s suggestion she thought the victim could legally consent to the sexual intercourse, saying it “defies belief that (Woods) could hold such a view”.
“I have no doubt you knew at the time what you were doing was illegal,” he said.
Judge Georgiou accepted the offending occurred during a “particularly low time” in Woods’ life when she had lapsed into drug abuse – spending up to $1000 a week on ice.
The abuse was revealed after another teacher reported rumours she had heard about Woods and the victim.
Woods pleaded guilty to two representative counts of sexual penetration of a child under 16 on the eve of her trial last year – just moments before her victim was set to testify against her.
The mother-of-two was sentenced to a maximum of four years and two months prison and will be placed on the sex offenders register for life.
She will be eligible for parole in less than two years with time served.