For more than two decades, Amadeo Enriquez Ballestero was a respected science educator in Dunedin, known to generations of children as ‘Mr Science Guy’.
On Tuesday, the 45-year-old was sentenced to 30 months in prison after filming himself abusing a boy, the Otago Daily Times reported.
The revelation has left the education and wider Dunedin community reeling.
A long-serving science communicator at Otago Museum, Enriquez Ballestero was known for his flamboyant experiments with liquid nitrogen and explosions.
He began his career teaching Spanish and later sciences at Dunedin schools. He also ran a space programme for teens and travelled to the Chatham Islands to conduct outreach science education.
A former pupil, who did not want to be named, said hundreds of young people in the city knew him as ‘Mr Science Guy’.
“We thought he was great... I never noticed anything strange, but then again I was probably too young to.”
Another former pupil said they were shocked to hear of Enriquez Ballestero’s actions.
“I regularly attended the school holiday program at the museum, which he was heavily involved with, as well as museum birthday parties and school museum sleepovers. He was a figure idolised by all of the children, including myself,” they said.
“He would regularly do dry ice experiments and explosions, which we were obsessed with. I remember he was this super charismatic, enthusiastic guy who everyone loved.
“It feels like he knew every kid in Dunedin.”
An email by board presiding member Ryan Young and acting principal Nathan Maclennan at Papanui High School in Christchurch, where Enriquez Ballesteros had been working as a science teacher up until the charges were laid, was viewed by NZME.
It told parents and caregivers the matter was unrelated to the school, and explained they had been unable to provide information about the matter previously due to strict court suppression orders.
“When we were informed about the charges late last year, the staff member was placed on leave and the appropriate employment processes were followed. The individual is no longer employed by the school. A mandatory report was made to the teaching council at that time.”
Otago Museum director Ian Griffin said museum staff were “shocked and greatly saddened” to hear of the conviction of the former staff member for sexual offences.
“Tūhura Otago Museum strives to be a place where our visitors; families, children, and individuals, can be inspired and enriched in a shared understanding of the world. We work tirelessly to ensure that Tūhura remains a safe and welcoming community space for all visitors, especially our young guests. We put significant resources and systems in place to ensure staff are appropriately vetted. Our team is dedicated to protecting, educating, and inspiring the children we serve.
“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with those affected by his offending. If the activities of this individual harmed any of our visitors, we invite them to contact us so that we can provide assistance and support.”
A Dunedin Astronomical Society spokesperson said, like other community organisations, they never expected such behaviour from someone they trusted.
“We naively assumed that a registered teacher and popular science communicator would align with our longstanding values and reputation.”
The spokesperson said the organisation would now adopt character-checking measures as well as staffing arrangements to ensure it never happened again.
“We urge all community groups, of any size, to do the same, in order to protect the young and invulnerable.”
Enriquez Ballesteros was employed at Balmacewen Intermediate School as a part-time science educator from July 2020 to December 2021, working with teachers to develop science programs and demonstrate experiments to students.
Principal Andrew Hunter said there were no complaints received or concerns raised about him during his time at the school.
“The school was made aware of the investigation into his offending in 2023. Because the offending did not relate to school, we have had no further input,” Hunter said.
Enriquez Ballestero has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison, and automatically registered as a child sex offender.
Ben Tomsett is a Multimedia Journalist for the New Zealand Herald, based in Dunedin