Former Drama Teacher Charged with Sexually Abusing Students

A former Tasmanian drama teacher, Keith Athol Bates-Willie, has been charged with 14 counts of indecent assault, persistent sexual abuse, rape, and aggravated sexual assault. The allegations date back to his time as a teacher at two high schools and a college in southern Tasmania from the late 1970s to the early 2000s. Bates-Willie has pleaded not guilty to all 14 charges, and a two-week-long trial began in the Supreme Court in Hobart on July 23. The prosecution alleges that Bates-Willie befriended his students, plied some of them with alcohol, and ultimately sexually abused nine of them.

Key Takeaways:

The prosecution alleges that Keith Athol Bates-Willie met his alleged victims through the schools' drama departments, where they were invited to participate in numerous stage productions.
The case involves "shocking" allegations, including that Bates-Willie touched and even penetrated underage boys without their consent.
Bates-Willie was found to have befriended groups of select students, allowing them to call him by his given name, and kissing them on the lips as a greeting.
He frequently asked his students to provide him with back and shoulder massages, or massaged them in turn.
Bates-Willie socialised with his students outside of school hours, including taking some of them to dinner, driving them in his personal vehicle, or inviting them to his home.
His students looked up to Bates-Willie, with some viewing him as a "father-figure".
The boys often joined him in his office or the drama room during lunch times, where they discussed adult topics, including politics, and sexuality, or films such as Monty Python.
Bates-Willie was involved in staging musical theatre productions with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society during the 1980s.
He invited several of his drama students to participate in these productions either as actors or stage crew.
One alleged victim will testify about an incident with Bates-Willie, when the teacher was fitting the teenager for a stage costume, and then inserting a finger into his anus.
Alleged incidents also took place in Rosetta High School's darkroom in 1979, and when the students stayed overnight in the teacher's house.

Statistics:

14 counts of indecent assault, persistent sexual abuse, rape, and aggravated sexual assault have been charged against Bates-Willie.
9 students are alleged to have been sexually abused by Bates-Willie.
The alleged incidents date back to Bates-Willie's time as a teacher from the late 1970s to the early 2000s.
8 counts of indecent assault, 4 counts of persistent sexual abuse of a child, and 1 count each of rape and aggravated sexual assault have been charged.
The trial is expected to last for two weeks.

Sources:

A court has heard allegations that a former Tasmanian drama teacher befriended his students, plied some of them with alcohol at parties at his home and ultimately sexually abused nine of them. (Source: undisclosed, based on original text)
The charges date back to his time as a teacher working at two high schools and a college in southern Tasmania from the late 1970s to the early 2000s. (Source: undisclosed, based on original text)
In his opening statement, Crown Prosecutor Jack Shapiro told the jury that the state's case would prove that Bates-Willie met his alleged victims through the schools' drama departments, where they were invited to participate in numerous stage productions. (Source: disclosed, no date)
Other students would testify that Bates-Willie performed oral sex on a student and then ejaculated in the presence of the boy, Shapiro told the jury. (Source: disclosed, no date)
He said other patterns of Bates' Willie's behaviour included inviting the cast and crew of his theatre productions to his house for parties, including his underage high school students. (Source: disclosed, no date)