A teacher who sent explicit images to his 14-year-old student blamed loneliness brought on by the Covid pandemic for his vile acts.
Married father-of-two Locksley Christy, A PE teacher in Victoria, groomed the teenage girl by sending her secret messages saying she had “nice legs” and was “gorgeous”, Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard.
The teacher, 27, contacted her on Snapchat and sent her a picture with his trousers pulled down to show his pubic hair. The outline of his private parts was also visible, the Herald Sun reported.
After several requests, the girl sent Christy a picture with her top lifted up to show the bottom of her breasts.
Christy pleaded guilty to grooming a child under the age of 16.
Magistrate Donna Bakos said Christy’s offending was “extremely serious”.
“Your offending involves a profound breach of trust,” Ms Bakos said during sentencing.
“You abused your position as a teacher, and encouraged a young child to act sexually.”
She added that the teenager’s life was “in turmoil” as a result of his actions.
The court heard that Christy was chronically lonely at the time of his offending, between October 2020 and February 2021, because of the pandemic.
His wife had been unwell and his son is autistic.
Christy will not serve a day in prison.
He was handed a two-year Community Correction Order, including 200 hours of unpaid community work.
He is no longer teaching at the school.