World · East Asia & Pacific · 9 hrs ago
Adelaide sports coach banned from working with children
A tribunal in South Australia has upheld a ban preventing an Adelaide sports coach from working with children.
He sent a teenager more than 140 Facebook messages over four months, asked for their Snapchat details and called them at 10pm.
The coach was acquitted last year of a sexual communication charge because it was not proven beyond reasonable doubt.
The state Department of Human Services later barred him from child-related work, and he challenged that decision.
The tribunal found the messages showed a serious breach of professional boundaries and were indicative of grooming behaviour, even though they contained no explicit sexual content.
It said protecting children was the priority and allowing him to return to this work would not adequately protect them.
An Adelaide sports coach has been banned from child-related work after a tribunal found he posed an unacceptable risk of harm to children.
The tribunal upheld the Department of Human Services’ prohibition after the coach challenged it.
The coach sent a teenager more than 140 Facebook messages over four months, requested their Snapchat details and called them at 10pm.
The tribunal said the contact showed a lack of boundaries and was indicative of grooming behaviour.
The coach was acquitted last year of a charge of communicating to make a child amenable to sexual activity because the charge was not proven beyond reasonable doubt.
- Who
- An Adelaide sports coach and a teenager. The South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal considered the coach’s case.
- What
- The tribunal upheld a ban preventing the coach from undertaking child-related work.
- When
- The ruling was published recently, according to the article. The coach was acquitted last year.
- Where
- Adelaide, South Australia.
- Why
- The tribunal found the coach posed an unacceptable risk of harm to children, based on his contact with the teenager and other factors.
The coach
Department of Human Services and the tribunal
Ban
The coach
The coach challenged the department’s prohibition on child-related work.
Department of Human Services and the tribunal
The department prohibited him from child-related work, and the tribunal upheld the ban.
Contact with teenager
The coach
The coach accepted that his communication with the teenager was inappropriate.
Department of Human Services and the tribunal
The tribunal found the exchanges showed a lack of boundaries and were indicative of grooming behaviour.
The coach sent the teenager more than 140 Facebook messages.
The coach was acquitted of communicating to make a child amenable to sexual activity after the charge was not proven beyond reasonable doubt.
The Department of Human Services prohibited the coach from undertaking child-related work.
The coach challenged the prohibition, and the tribunal upheld the ban.
- Facebook messages
- More than 140 over four months
- Other contact
- Requested the teenager’s Snapchat details and called at 10pm
- Tribunal
- South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
- Department decision
- Prohibited the coach from undertaking child-related work
- Criminal case
- Acquitted last year; charge not proven beyond reasonable doubt
What people are saying
In my view, the Facebook messages by themselves are enough for me to find the applicant poses an unacceptable risk of harm to children.
The messages indicate that the applicant initiated and continued the contact, persisting even after the child asked the applicant to stop.
It is a privilege and not a right to work with children.