Natalie Linda Zuccon: New charges laid in teacher’s child sex case

The case of a high school teacher who allegedly procured a child for sex hinges largely on one piece of evidence, a court has been told.

New child sex charges have been laid against a former Adelaide teacher who allegedly procured a child for sex.

Former Underdale High School teacher Natalie Linda Zuccon, 36, was arrested in April and first charged with one aggravated count of making a child amenable to sexual activity over incidents alleged to have happened at Grange four years ago.

The defendant did not appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday and was excused for a second time after a medical certificate was handed to the court.

NCA NewsWire understands Ms Zuccon had a baby a week ago after her lawyer was heard discussing it inside court ahead of her hearing.

The court was told that prosecutors would be proceeding with fresh information, as an additional four counts had been laid against her, and all five were alleged to have occurred between January 1 and February 28, 2017.

Defence counsel Craig Caldicott said the charges against his client would be contested.

“There have been discussions with (the prosecution) as to how they’ll prove it, so we’ll need some time because it all relates to videos sent from one phone to another phone and as to the dates and times they were sent,” he said.

Natalie Linda Zuccon was charged with an aggravated count of communicating with a child to make them amenable to sexual activity. Picture: 7 News

Outside of court the lawyer did not confirm or deny if Ms Zuccon delivered the baby but said “unfortunately people sometimes get sick and can’t attend”.

Mr Caldicott said he had not seen the videos mentioned in court and was waiting to see them.

“As I understand it — and you probably have a similar phone — you send a video from one of your phones to your colleagues’ phones. That’s how you do it.

“That’s what they (the prosecution) are suggesting (she did). I don't know whether she did.”

In her past appearance in June, Mr Caldicott asked the court to alter Ms Zuccon’s bail agreement to allow her to care for her unborn child because she was pregnant.

One of the bail conditions states she cannot be in the company of any child aged under 18 years.

Magistrate Simon Smart agreed to vary the bail agreement by adding words to the clause that the condition did not apply to any child of hers.

Following Ms Zuccon’s arrest, the Education Department issued a statement saying it had been notified of the woman’s arrest and charge laid by SA Police.

“Parents are being informed in line with Debelle protocols,” a department spokesperson said.

“At this stage of legal proceedings no further information can be provided.”