Melbourne Teacher Sentenced to Nearly Seven Years for Filming Sexual Abuse of Student
A former Melbourne high school teacher who filmed himself having sex with a female student he described as a 'conquest' and 'trophy' has been sentenced to six years and eleven months imprisonment. Troy Ollis, 34, previously taught at MacKillop College in Werribee and pleaded guilty to multiple sexual offences involving a student under his care.
Systematic Abuse and Covert Communication
The Melbourne County Court heard disturbing details of Ollis's offending, which occurred over approximately three and a half months. The former Catholic school teacher sexually violated his victim at multiple locations including hotels, his family home, and his car while the child's parents believed she was at work. Prosecutors revealed Ollis filmed and photographed more than a dozen encounters, with one particularly disturbing incident occurring while the Disney movie Aladdin played in the background.
Ollis employed elaborate methods to maintain covert contact with his victim. After the girl's father implemented strict parental controls on her regular phone, Ollis purchased her a secret mobile device specifically for their communication. The pair also used secret email addresses and self-destruct messaging applications to avoid detection.
Grooming Through Academic Praise
Prosecutor Deanna Caruso detailed how Ollis initially 'groomed' his victim through more than 200 emails in which he praised her as a 'promising student'. 'The offender engaged in grooming behaviour by complimenting her maturity, writing style and work ethic through email,' Caruso told the court. She argued Ollis manipulated the victim to obtain 'a young person who was compliant... who would adore him.'
Despite this systematic grooming, Ollis's defence barrister Belinda Franjic claimed the relationship began as an 'appropriate' teacher-student connection that 'evolved' over time. Franjic submitted that her client did not deliberately target or groom the victim, though she conceded he 'should have known better' than to initiate a relationship with a student.
Discovery at Airport and Disturbing Evidence
Australian Border Force officers apprehended Ollis at Melbourne Airport on January 14, 2025, after examining his phone following a holiday in Tanzania with his wife and four-year-old son. Authorities discovered 140 child abuse material files, many depicting the student victim. Investigators also found additional abusive material depicting children as young as three years old.
Among the most disturbing evidence was Ollis's sharing of a sex video with the student via WhatsApp, accompanied by the message: 'He he I have a lot of videos and photos with this girl. She loved being on camera with my d***.' Police also discovered written material on Ollis's phone titled 'Daily Routine' that instructed a female student to perform explicit acts as part of her morning schedule.
Court Condemnation and Psychological Assessment
Experienced County Court Judge Paul Higham described Ollis's conduct as 'deranged offending' and stated that 'no teacher can stay within the post feeling sexually attracted to their pupils.' Judge Higham emphasised the breach of trust inherent in the offences, noting that Ollis had treated his victim as a 'trophy' and 'conquest' rather than a person.
'Boundaries were crossed and you betrayed the trust placed in you in the service of your own desires,' Judge Higham told Ollis. 'You offended over three-and-a-half months because you simply gained sexual satisfaction from it.' The judge highlighted the particular aggravation of Ollis sharing intimate images of his victim, which he described as 'boasting' about his 'conquest.'
A psychological assessment presented to the court found Ollis to be an 'inadequate man', while Prosecutor Caruso noted he had 'an attraction to females of that age.' Despite his crimes, Ollis retained the support of his wife and parents, who attended court proceedings.
Sentence and Lifetime Registration
Ollis pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual penetration of a child aged 16 or 17 years under care, supervision, or authority, along with charges of producing and possessing child abuse material. In addition to his prison sentence of six years and eleven months with a non-parole period of four years and two months, Ollis was ordered to become a registered sex offender for life.
Judge Higham concluded that Ollis's 'moral culpability' was high, particularly given his position of authority and trust within the educational environment. The case has raised serious questions about safeguarding procedures in schools and the mechanisms for detecting inappropriate relationships between staff and students.
