Alleged ‘indecent act’ by female high school teacher revealed
- Teacher ‘intentionally exposed’ boy to indecent photo
- Chelsea Jane Edwards was not in court for charges
- The case has been postponed to May 29
A high school teacher accused of grooming a 15-year-old child “deliberately exposed” her alleged victim to an “indecent photograph,” court documents show.
Chelsea Jane Edwards, 28, a teacher at Indooroopilly State High School in Brisbane, Queensland, was charged in March with two counts of grooming and one count of indecent treatment of a child under 16.
According to police, Edwards had several contacts with the boy in court documents between July and September 2022, when the child molestation allegedly began.
According to the school’s website, Edwards worked as a sports coordinator.
Police were reportedly contacted in February and an investigation was launched.
Chelsea Jane Edwards, 28 (pictured) allegedly ‘deliberately exposed’ a teenage boy to an indecent photo in September 2022, the court heard on Tuesday
Edwards, who lives in Paradise Point on the Gold Coast, was formally charged on March 10.
She was released on bail in March and had to hand over her passport to the police.
Court documents say Edwards “deliberately exposed” the boy to an indecent photo on a September date.
The documents further allege that she engaged in conduct with intent to “seduce” the child into sexual acts in Queensland between July 7 and September 14, 2022.
Edwards did not appear at Southport Magistrates Court when her case was briefly discussed on Tuesday.
Her lawyer, Jordan Roles, told the court on Tuesday that he had received only partial evidence from the prosecution.
The court heard that the investigating officer was on leave, but has now returned and the burden of proof will be supplemented.
Chelsea Jane Edwards (pictured) was not at Southport Magistrates Court when her case was briefly discussed on Tuesday
The case was adjourned to Brisbane Magistrates Court on 29 May.
In a statement in March, the Ministry of Education said the “safety and well-being of students” is their top priority.
“The ministry recognizes that the allegations are serious and distressing to all concerned,” the spokeswoman said.
‘We have already provided extensive support to the relevant school community and we will continue to do so.’
Indooroopilly is one of the largest state schools in Queensland with over 2500 students.
Edwards was a sports coordinator at Indooroopilly State High School (pictured) at the time of the alleged violations.