English teacher at prestigious $40,000-a-year private school ‘used child abuse videos and images of children held at gunpoint for his own sexual gratification,’ court hears
- Cody Reynolds pleads guilty to child molestation charges
- Stored material including children at gunpoint
- Fired from Moriah College within 24 hours of being charged
Horrifying images and videos of child abuse, including children being held at gunpoint, were used by a teacher for his sexual gratification, a court has said.
Cody Michael Reynolds, 37, was arraigned in Downing Center District Court on Thursday after pleading guilty in December to one charge of sending child abuse material and another charge of possessing it.
Reynolds was Head of English at Moriah College, where tuition costs $39,700 a year, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
It was told at the hearing that there were only “slight differences” between the Crown and the defense over the seriousness of Reynolds’s offence, which the court said involved a very large amount of material on a laptop and mobile phones.
The material included ‘children held at gunpoint’ and some images and videos related to vulnerable children, it was said.
Among the child abuse material kept by ex-Moriah College English teacher Cody Reynolds (pictured), “there were children who were held at gunpoint,” some of whom were “vulnerable,” the court was told
Crown Prosecutor Georgia Lewer said Reynolds used aliases, viewed the material for sexual gratification and had a history of sexual deviance.
Ms Lewer said a full term prison sentence was appropriate as she questioned whether the anomaly was under control and his prospects for rehabilitation.
“The crowning position is Your Honor can’t think they’re any good,” she said of those prospects.
Reynolds’ attorney, Ryan Coffey, pushed for an alternative to full-time custody, arguing that his client had done everything “humanly available” to make things right since he was charged.
Mr Coffey said Reynolds had entered an early plea of guilt, underwent voluntary psychological treatment and had shown remorse and remorse.
Crown Prosecutor Georgia Lewer told the court that Reynolds (left) used aliases, viewed the material for sexual gratification and had a history of sexual deviance
The ex-teacher had cooperated with law enforcement, increasing the number of images and files found by federal police, and lost his job within 24 hours of his arrest, Mr Coffey told the court.
He also pointed to his client’s “not empty” apology for the “abhorrent crime.”
“It hasn’t just been an easy time (for him),” the lawyer said.
Mr Coffey admitted that some of the material involved acts of violence or torture and said the Crown could not prove that Mr Reynolds had viewed everything, only that he received links and downloaded it, adding that his client took full responsibility.
On possible recidivism, Mr Coffey said there was evidence of ‘systems’ and argued ‘there is more than one person who will keep him on track and assist him’.
Reynolds, who is out on bail, sat in court near supporters of his family and showed little emotion during the hearing.
Judge Phillip Mahony adjourned the case to May 11 for a verdict.