A prominent Wangaratta music teacher has pleaded guilty to the sexual penetration of several of his young students.
Wayne Robinson appeared in Wangaratta Magistrates Court on Thursday and stood four times to say ‘‘I’m pleading guilty your honour’’.
Wayne Robinson.Credit: Border Mail
The charges included several offences of sexual penetration of a child under 16, sexual assault by touching, possessing child pornography and using a carriage service to groom a child for sexual activity.
Robinson has appeared in court four times during 2019 as police, Crown prosecutors and his lawyers went through the process of negotiating the charges.
He had previously indicated he wanted to fight the charges, but Thursday was the first time he admitted his guilt.
Sitting in the front row behind the prosecutor, Robinson did not show any emotion during the hearing.
He will remain on bail with strict conditions, including that he not be at his home in Boorhaman if there are children present.
The case was adjourned to the next Wangaratta County Court circuit, starting in January next year.
Charge sheets have revealed some of Robinson’s victims were young boys under 16 and in his care in his role as a music teacher based in the Wangaratta region.
Offences start from as far back as 2007, when he massaged the naked body of a boy, touched him sexually, and committed the most serious offence of sexual penetration.
The behaviour continued as recently as 2017, when Robinson pressed himself against the back of one of his students and again in 2018 when he sexually touched another boy in a way that ‘‘was contrary to community standards of acceptable conduct’’.