- Nicholas Campbell charged with sexual assault
A Queensland music teacher will face trial for allegedly sexually abusing a child in 1996.
Nicholas Campbell, 54, is currently employed at Matthew Flinders Anglican College in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, but his alleged offending relates to his time at a different school.
He appeared in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with three counts of aggravated sexual assault where the victim was under the authority of the offender.
He was granted bail and is due to face court in Grafton NSW on April 14.
Prosecutors said the charges related to an alleged student-teacher relationship, the ABC reported.
Two of the alleged incidents occurred on the same day, while another took place later that month.
The prosecution opposed bail, describing Campbell’s alleged offending as ‘serious,’ and said it had concerns about his mental health.
Campbell’s lawyer said he had been aware of the complaint since 2020 when it had been expected to progress as a civil matter.
Nicholas Campbell, 54, is currently employed at Matthew Flinders Anglican College in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, but his alleged offending relates to his work at a different school
Matthew Flinders Anglican College said it took ‘all allegations pertaining to staff members seriously’
The court heard he had not heard anything about it since then and had been surprised when police turned up at his door on Wednesday morning.
The lawyer said he was ‘highly-regarded’ at his current school where he worked as the head of department.
He had no criminal history and this was the only complaint made against him as a teacher, the lawyer added.
Matthew Flinders Anglican College said it took ‘all allegations pertaining to staff members seriously’.
‘We shall cooperate with authorities and follow our college policies and processes,’ it said in a statement.
‘Our priority remains the safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and community.’
