The mother of a girl who was victimized by a former music teacher in Ballarat has likened the moment she learned about the abuse to the sensation of being forcefully sucked out of a plane and freefalling towards the ground.
110,000 messages exchanged with victim
According to the court, Damien Woods, a former music teacher at Ballarat High School, was a trusted member of staff who developed a close relationship with the victim-survivor while teaching her.
Over the course of their relationship, the two individuals exchanged more than 110,000 messages. Their communication extended late into the night, starting when the girl was only 13 years old.
As time went on, the messages between them became increasingly sexual in nature. Eventually, Woods began requesting selfies from the student, specifically asking for pictures of her in her underwear.
Former music teacher Ballarat Damien Woods sexually assaulted student
Damien Woods, who previously held the position of Head of Performing Arts at Ballarat High School, has been accused of engaging in inappropriate behavior with a student. The allegations escalated from exchanging naked photos and engaging in phone sex to multiple instances of sexual assault, some of which took place on the school grounds.
The victim-survivor, along with a friend, confronted Woods about his actions before informing her parents and reporting the incidents to the police in January 2023. Shortly after, Woods was arrested. However, during his police interview, he initially denied much of the wrongdoing, as stated in court.
Woods ‘downplayed the inappropriate behavior’
Former music teacher Ballarat Damien Woods engaged in sexual misconduct with a student.
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