Teacher defends actions "I actually thought 16 was the legal age."

Teacher defends her sexual exploits with students by claiming “I actually thought 16 was the legal age and I found out later it wasn’t.”

A high school teacher has admitted having sex with three teenage students from Tasmanian high schools where she was teaching, reports The Mercury.

Casey Lee Sullivan, 33, appeared before Chief Justice Alan Blow in the Supreme Court in Hobart after pleading guilty to nine counts of having sexual intercourse with a young person under the age of 17 years between 2012 and 2015.

Crown Prosecutor Jessica Wade said the victims were aged 15 and 16.

The court heard Sullivan’s offending started when she had sex with a boy she met while still a student teacher in 2012.

The following year, Sullivan sent flirtatious messages to a 15-year-old grade 10 student via Facebook .

She later told police she thought the boy was a year older “I actually thought 16 was the legal age and I found out later it wasn’t.”

In 2015 she contacted another student via social media and exchanged messages in which she was “flirtatious”, the court heard.

Ms Wade said the crimes were serious breaches of trust and said a deterrent sentence was called for.

Defence lawyer James O’Shannessey said his client had deep shame and regret for her actions and recognised the seriousness of her offending.

He said Sullivan had been ostracised by her local community and had been victimised and humiliated in public after news of her offending spread, reports The Mercury.

Mr O’Shannessey said Sullivan’s actions stemmed from emotional immaturity and self-esteem issues compounded by a bad marriage which had left her with feelings of low self-worth and desperate for positive attention.

Chief Justice Blow remanded Sullivan in custody for sentencing next Thursday.

Share your comments below.

Image via Shutterstock

23 Comments

- - hopefullyheidi said
  - 03 Jul 2016
    11:06 pm
Given the woman’s own lawyer’s comments I don’t think the woman who did this should have even thought about teaching with such an emotional level of immaturity.

- - hologro said
  - 16 Jun 2016
    8:23 pm
If you are keeping it a secret than you know it’s not okay.
Why does a 30 year old women need to send flirtatious messages to a teenager???
That is not a valid excuse. She exploited her position. Shame on her!

- - jennibeans said
  - 14 Jun 2016
    4:22 pm
Oh the excuses. Low self esteem and a bad marriage? Big whoop. People who give lame reasons for crimes should have a harsher punishment

- - mom19782016 said
  - 10 Jun 2016
    3:02 pm
I’m sure she knew what she was doing. I hope the sentence reflects this.

- - mom172741 said
  - 23 May 2016
    8:35 am
Regardless of age where are her professional boundaries. Preying on young boys for her own gratification.

- - mom112217 said
  - 09 May 2016
    2:20 pm
Hopefully she wouldn’t be allowed to teach ever again!

- - mom81879 said
  - 06 May 2016
    12:55 pm
Regardless of what she mistakenly thought was the legal age, she’s a teacher, they’re her students. Such a massive breech of trust in her behalf. No excuse makes this any better

- - mum4107 said
  - 06 May 2016
    5:53 am
Some many excuses. All of them are unacceptable.

- - lizgh said
  - 06 May 2016
    3:34 am
How someone like her can hold a teaching diploma?! I am sure her career is finished.

- - Lori-Anne said
  - 06 May 2016
    1:01 am
I think it wise that if anyone plans to have sex with anyone else that they check the legal age of consent within their State and exercise extreme caution particularly when wanting to have sex with a young person where age could be borderline. I hope she has learned a valuable lesson and doesn’t repeat offend.

- - damish70 said
  - 05 May 2016
    10:05 pm
Where’s her duty of care? Sorry not buying her excuse & sob story.

- - Mummytoabeautifulprincess said
  - 05 May 2016
    8:58 pm
I don’t think she should be branded a paedophile but should definitely be banned from teaching at the least!

- - rachelvk said
  - 05 May 2016
    8:54 pm
Irrespective of the age, this woman seriously breached her duty of care.

- - mom113991 said
  - 05 May 2016
    8:28 pm
wow, that is such a cop out

- - june11 said
  - 05 May 2016
    6:19 pm
I reckon the teacher should say goodbye to her career as a teacher.
If she gets a gaol term she won’t find it easy to get another job either.

- - mom160421 said
  - 05 May 2016
    6:02 pm
I hope she gets a prison sentence. She’s a sex offender and predator. Even at 16 these students are still children. Her excuses make me sick.
- mom93821 replied
  
  06 May 2016 , 6:56 pm
  You are quite right, children need to be protected!
- - BellaB said
  - 05 May 2016
    5:30 pm
How could someone so stupid and immature possibly be a suitable teacher?

- - mom90758 said
  - 05 May 2016
    3:10 pm
Incredible! I can’t believe she didn’t know about the legal age!! I wouldn’t want to cross my path with such a woman!!

- - mom165081 said
  - 05 May 2016
    3:05 pm
How could she have thought this was remotely ok? So very wrong on many levels. Ignorance of the law is never an excuse. In some States, those with responsibilities for minors have an legislated increase in consensual age to 21 years.
- mom165081 replied
  
  05 May 2016 , 3:09 pm
  Sorry, just to clarify on my previous comment – not minors in their care, but rather younger people who they are responsible for – that is the age of consent for the younger person in increased to 21 in some States in specific circumstances.
- - mom93821 said
  - 05 May 2016
    2:17 pm
A teacher has a role of trust and they are also in a position of authority. It is a position that should not be exploited.