Ex-Sydney teacher Chris Dawson found guilty of having sex with student

Former Sydney schoolteacher Chris Dawson was found guilty of having a sexual relationship with one of his underage students in the 1980s.

Mr Dawson went to a judge’s sole trial in the New South Wales District Court and pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual knowledge of a girl aged 10 to 17.

The woman, known in court under the pseudonym AB, said they had their first kiss in Dawson’s car in 1980 when he was 16, and within weeks had sex at Dawson’s parents’ home. I submitted proof that it happened.

Dawson, now 74, did not dispute that he had sex in school, but claimed he was already 17.

Judge Sarah Huggett today convicted Dawson, describing AB as “cold and responsive” through evidence at trial.

The judge said AB had not embellished or conceded where necessary, and described her as a “thoughtful witness who presented her evidence in a matter-of-fact manner.”

It will continue.