Teacher pleads guilty to child abuse, sex with child under ‘care’

A teacher from Melbourne’s west has pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a 16-year-old girl and possessing child sex abuse material.

Troy Ollis taught at MacKillop College in Werribee, but was suspended by the teaching watchdog earlier this year when the charges emerged.

The former teacher in his mid-30s pleaded guilty to nine charges on Friday, including seven counts of sexual penetration of a 16-year-old child under his “care, supervision or authority” at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.

MacKillop College in Werribee.Credit: Justin McManus

According to charge sheets the abuse took place from September to December 2024 at multiple locations including Werribee, Tullamarine and Grovedale.

He also pleaded guilty on Friday to one count of knowingly possessing child abuse material and one count of producing child abuse material.

His lawyer Una Ebsworth told the court the matter was “resolved”, and her client would be pleading guilty to charges. Ollis was originally facing 40 charges, but 31 of those were withdrawn by prosecutors in court on Friday.

Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz asked how he would plead.

“I plead guilty, Your Honour,” Ollis told the court.

No details of the offending were aired in court, but court documents reveal that one of the former teacher’s instances of abuse involved a sex toy.

In January, when Ollis was charged, the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) said it was working closely with the relevant authorities.

“MACS acted immediately to suspend the teacher and to inform all agencies involved in the care and safety of children and young people,” it said in a statement at the time.

In a letter to the school community parents were told about the incident on January 20.

Principal Chris Caldow wrote that Ollis was “immediately directed not to attend MacKillop College”.

He will next face a plea hearing at the County Court of Victoria in November.

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