Wesley College kitchen worker charged with sex offence against student has been granted interim name suppression

Wesley College, in Pukekohe, was established in 1844 and is New Zealand's oldest registered secondary school.

The Wesley College kitchen worker accused of sexual conduct with an under-16-year-old has been granted interim name suppression.

The 24-year-old man, who had lived on site at the country’s oldest school, appeared in the Pukekohe District Court today on one charge of sexual connection.

Judge Gerard Winter remanded the man on bail without plea until his next appearance in December.

He granted the man interim name suppression until then.

If name suppression is to continue past that hearing, Judge Winter said, a formal application will need to be filed with the court and served to the media.

The defendant wore a white shirt, grey shorts and black trainers to the appearance.

The offending is alleged to have occurred in July this year against a Wesley College day student.

At the time, the man was working as a kitchen hand and living on-site at the school.

He resigned in August after the allegations emerged and first appeared in court last month.

Wesley College principal Brian Evans told the Herald this week that the student’s family, police and Oranga Tamariki were immediately informed after the school learned of the allegations in August.

After being notified of the claims, the man did not return to work.

He ended his tenancy at Wesley on August 18, the school said.

Evans told the Herald the school’s first priority was the student’s well-being.

“We offered her and her family support, then handed the matter over to police for investigation.

“The family expressed appreciation for the way the situation was handled under our safeguarding protocols ... We have not identified any other students affected.”

Evans said the school was informed that the staffer had messaged other students online.

“We immediately followed up with those students who confirmed that the staffer had messaged them and they had not engaged with him.

“Police were also made aware that there were other students the staff member had messaged.”

The charge, sexual connection with a young person, carries a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment.

Evans said the worker had passed police vetting and reference checks before being employed.

Based on Wesley’s investigation and the police inquiry, the school was satisfied there was no further risk to students, he said.

“So sharing the information with other parents was not deemed necessary.”

News of the charge follows the Ministry of Education’s move to urgently shut down Wesley’s boarding hostels after serious and “harmful” incidents related to student safety. Wesley is appealing the timing of the closure and has launched legal action against the ministry.

Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers issues such as sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.