The parents of a young father who tragically drowned on a camping trip with friends were shocked to discover that he had been sexually involved with a teacher since he was 17 years old.
Dean Gray, 25, was camping with his younger brother and some of their closest friends in October 2021 when he dislocated his shoulder while swimming across the swollen Namoi River at Narrabri, about 500km northwest of Sydney.
His friends told him to stay while they went to get help, but by the time they got back he was gone. His body was found five days later.
Now Dean’s mother, Cherina, has revealed her horror when she discovered her son had a sexual relationship with a teacher when she looked through his phone after his tragic death.
“Can you imagine what it’s like for a mother to read?” Mrs. Gray said Nine.
Dean Gray, 25, (pictured with his mother, Cherina) drowned during a camping trip in October 2021. His mother later discovered horrifying messages on his phone with a teacher
Some of the thousands of messages shared between the teacher and dean, which started when he was just 17
“This isn’t just about a boy having an affair with a teacher; this is obvious grooming and abuse – abuse of power that someone has done in the most disgusting way.’
The reports started when Dean was 17 during school holidays in 2013.
The teacher, who cannot be named for legal reasons, praised Dean for his results on a school test.
But the tone of the conversation changed over time.
“It’s becoming more and more regular. They communicate a lot every day and it just subtly comes in with a little kiss or a little heart or a wink and things like that,” Mrs. Gray said.
The teacher even joked about going to jail
The teacher acknowledged their significant age difference and even joked about being imprisoned for involvement with a student.
In another, Dean said “marry me” to which the teacher replied, “Okay. If I get out of jail by corrupting you.”
The thousands of messages, which took Dean’s mother an entire day to read, only ended when the teacher’s partner discovered the affair.
Dean Gray, pictured with his fiancee Taylor Baxter and their son Bostin, disappeared on a camping trip
Pictured: Namoi River near Narrabri, where Dean went missing
At the time of Dean’s death, he shared a two-year-old son named Bostin with his fiancé, Taylor Baxter.
But before starting a relationship with Taylor, he met his first girlfriend, Caitlyn Butler, while studying at TAFE after dropping out of school.
Ms Butler told Nine Dean revealed that he slept with one of his teachers in a game of Truth or Dare.
“He said, ‘I slept with one of my teachers at school,’ and the whole room went silent,” Butler said.
“Dean was young, he didn’t know the difference between right and wrong. It was more like, “How cool is this? I’m fucking my teacher.”
Dean’s parents first learned of the alleged relationship in 2016 after a family member disclosed details of the abuse.
At the time, they reported the allegations to the police and the Ministry of Education, but an investigation was closed due to “insufficient evidence”.
It was only after Dean’s death in 2021 that his mother discovered the messages between her son and the teacher.
She took screenshots to the Ministry of Education and the police.
The teacher was withdrawn within 48 hours while a second investigation was launched.
Dean and Taylor (pictured together) got engaged around 2018, before having their son Bostin
However, police said the Director of Public Prosecutions had advised that there was not enough admissible evidence to prosecute.
The Ministry of Education’s investigation is still ongoing.
Dean’s parents said they want a criminal conviction, but feel it is unlikely at this stage.
“But if (the teacher) can be publicly named…then that’s still a win. That would be a win for our son,” said Mrs. Gray.