No jail for teacher over ‘gross’ sexual texts to child
A former private school teacher who sent messages detailing sexual contact with an underage child will serve his sentence in the community rather than a prison cell.
William Roberto Gulson was teaching and tutoring at Sydney’s exclusive Knox Grammar School in 2024 before embarking on a 90-minute online conversation with someone he believed to be a 15-year-old boy.
In reality, this person was a 14-year-old teenager who, along with another teenager, was running a fake profile on the LGBTQI dating app Grindr in an attempt to catch pedophiles.
Gulson stood transfixed as he was sentenced to three years’ community debt and ordered to complete 400 hours of community service in Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court on Friday.
The 28-year-old will also be placed on the NSW child protection register for eight years, must report new tattoos and will be banned from online gaming platforms that allow contact with children.
Gulson had stated that the conversation led to an error in judgment because he was multitasking and marking papers.
Judge Hugh Donnelly handed down his verdict, calling the English veteran and theater master’s account of the text exchange “impossible, implausible and inconsistent with the logical course of events”.
He said the fact that Gulson told the teen he was “extremely conflicted” revealed that the former educator knew what he was doing was wrong.
The teacher admitted his reporter was “young, super young”, the court was told.
“When the conversation began the defendant was extremely deliberate in terms of expression and sharpness,” Judge Donnelly said.
When he found the former teacher guilty of procuring children for illegal sexual activity in January, he determined that Gulson had a sexual interest in children.
Judge Donnelly said he was investigating scenes of child abuse and rape during the three-month period in 2024 and searched 166 pornography sites depicting young boys.
He described Gulson’s messages to the 15-year-old as “extremely suggestive”, mentioned kissing and licking and asked “do you find it hot that you are the same age as my students?” He drew attention to a message that said:
Gulson also encouraged the teenagers to sneak out of their parents’ home so they could find a “quiet place” for sexual activity, saying he would be happy to meet up, the court was previously told.
However, the teenager deleted his Grindr account before any appointment took place and was unharmed.
Judge Donnelly said Gulson’s behavior had the “potential to cause real harm” but he also took into account the loss of his teaching career when sentencing.
He took a “cautious view” of the possibility of Gulson’s rehabilitation, stating that he “presented himself as a victim” because the boy he was texting was a “malicious civilian”.
The former teacher appealed his conviction and sentence.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Resolution Support Service 1800 211 028
Lifeline 13 11 14
Child Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
