Melbourne Teacher Pleads Guilty to Multiple Sexual Offences Against Student Following Bus Driver''s Observation
Introduction
A teacher from Tarneit P-9 College in Melbourne''s outer west, Justin Marks, has pleaded guilty to 12 charges, including sexual assault and sexual penetration of a child, after a bus driver observed him inappropriately touching a student during a school excursion in late 2024 and subsequently reported the incident.
Main Body
The County Court of Victoria heard that the bus driver, after returning the students and teachers to the school, confronted Marks, stating she had witnessed the events on the bus. Marks responded with a question, and the driver then requested that her employers review the onboard security footage. Upon reviewing the footage, the bus company contacted the school and emergency services. The school principal confronted Marks, who claimed he was checking on the student''s well-being because she could not swim. He was instructed to leave the school grounds, and the following day police conducted a raid on his residence and arrested him. Marks admitted to touching the student on the bus and expressed regret. He initially stated that no similar incident had occurred previously, but court proceedings revealed it was not the first instance of assault. An analysis of electronic devices belonging to Marks and the student uncovered 8,500 messages on an encrypted application and 6,000 messages and notifications on a Bluetooth bracelet over a six-week period. Prosecutors detailed that Marks developed a close relationship with the student after she confided in him about her anxiety, leading her to perceive him as a friend rather than a teacher. Over the following year, their communications became sexualized. Marks purchased an electronic bracelet for the student, which matched one he owned and enabled Bluetooth messaging. Subsequently, he kissed her in a classroom, and they later engaged in kissing and sexual acts in the school''s theatre and empty classrooms. The offenses were uncovered during a water park excursion attended by the student cohort, Marks, and other teachers. Marks met the student in the bathrooms and assaulted her while she lay on a towel on the floor. He later assaulted her again on the bus, where he was observed by the driver. The student provided a statement to the court describing the lasting impact of the offenses, stating she felt manipulated and that the experience left her feeling unclean. She noted that the situation was exacerbated by questions from other individuals at the school following Marks''s dismissal. Marks''s legal representative informed the court that they were awaiting a psychological assessment for their client and would address the court after its completion.
Conclusion
Justin Marks has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to reappear in court in July, pending the outcome of a psychological assessment.