A married music teacher has admitted to engaging in a sexual relationship with a schoolboy that began when he was just twelve years old, with allegations suggesting she became pregnant by him while he was only thirteen. Naomi Tekea Craig, aged thirty-three, appeared via video link at Mandurah Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, entering guilty pleas to fifteen separate charges related to her illicit conduct with the adolescent.
Court Proceedings and Charges
Magistrate Clare Cullen presided over the hearing, reading each charge aloud in the courtroom. The charges included multiple counts of sexual penetration of a child aged over twelve and thirteen, along with other serious offences. To every accusation, Craig responded unequivocally: 'Guilty, your honour.' The court was informed that the sexual relationship commenced around August 2024 and continued until December of that year, concluding mere days before her arrest.
Background and Employment
At the time of her arrest, Craig was on maternity leave from her position as a music teacher at Frederick Irwin Anglican School, a private co-educational institution in Meadow Springs catering to students from kindergarten through Year Twelve. Known professionally by her married name, Naomi Woods, she had given birth to a child in January, while the offences were occurring during her pregnancy with her second child.
Initially, Craig faced charges including two counts of sexual penetration of a child over thirteen and under sixteen, possession of child exploitation material, and persistent sexual conduct with a child under sixteen. Further charges laid on Tuesday encompass one count of sexually penetrating a child of or over thirteen and under sixteen, one count of indecent dealings with a child over thirteen and under sixteen, and one count of indecent dealings with a child under thirteen.
School Response and Community Impact
Following the arrest, Tracey Gray, the principal of Frederick Irwin Anglican School, communicated with parents and carers via letter, confirming that the alleged victim was not enrolled at the school. 'I regret to inform you that a teacher from our school has been arrested by police and charged with child-related offences,' Ms Gray wrote, assuring the community that the teacher had been instructed not to attend the premises and that there was no immediate concern for students' safety.
According to the school's website and newsletters, Craig was frequently praised for her active involvement in choir and music performances. An October 2024 newsletter featured a photograph of her working with children aged five to twelve at a 'battle of the band rock concert', where she was seen smiling on stage with primary school students, holding a microphone and wearing a knotted Nirvana t-shirt, with a Christian prayer displayed on a projector behind them.
Personal History and Education
Craig, who grew up in Mandurah, pursued higher education at The University of Western Australia, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree, and later obtained a Diploma of Education from Edith Cowan University. Her professional background included work as an independent private music teacher before joining Frederick Irwin Anglican School in 2024.
In her personal life, Craig relocated to Melbourne and married her long-time partner in a lavish ceremony at Stones of the Yarra Valley in October 2019. Online videos capture her walking down the aisle to meet her groom, followed by celebrations with family and friends. The couple welcomed their first child, a boy, in 2022 while based in Victoria, with maternity shoot photos from March 2022 showing Craig posing on a Mornington Peninsula beach in white lingerie and a lace gown.
This case highlights severe breaches of trust within an educational setting, raising significant concerns about safeguarding protocols and the welfare of minors. The legal proceedings continue as the community grapples with the implications of these distressing revelations.
