Magician has CBD in a spell
Accused deputy at school until charged
WE’VE seen everything from fire dancers to musicians, but now Wang Jin from China is bringing something new to the Cairns busking scene.
The 24-year-old has been learning and performing magic for about 10 years and arrived in the Far North this week.
Setting up his table in the Cairns CBD, he is attracting crowds and attention with his incredible illusions and tricks.
“I’ve been in Australia for one month. Cairns is my first city in Queensland,” he said.
“Magic is my hobby. When I went to middle school I began to learn magic tricks because some people can play violin or piano but I didn’t have any talent for that.
“But one day I saw a magician perform magic tricks on TV and that got me interested.
“I learn magic tricks by myself, no one has taught me. I learn through watching videos and magic books but learning magic is not such an easy thing because many magic magazines and books are written in English so I must learn English.”
Gaining an initial fourweek busking permit from Cairns Regional Council, Mr Jin said he hoped to perform in for the next two months. A FORMER high school deputy principal in Cairns and now of the Sunshine Coast, accused of historic child sex offences, had remained in his position until he was charged last year.
The Gympie-born 59-yearold has been charged with eight child sexual offences, all relating to the same girl who was under the age of 16 during some of the alleged crimes.
The man spent four years living in Rockhampton between 1985 and 1989, before moving to Cairns and then the Sunshine Coast in 1992.
He was deputy principal of both a Sunshine Coast and a North Queensland high school over the period of five years between July 3, 1989, and December 31, 1994, where he is accused of single counts of attempted rape and unlawful exposure.
It is not believed the alleged victim was a student at either of the schools where he worked.
The man is also facing two counts each of indecent assault, indecent treatment of a child and indecent assault by object, part of body or contact.
He will appear in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on June 8 for a committal mention.
A Department of Education spokesman said there was “no higher priority” than the “safety and wellbeing of students”, but could not comment further as the matter was before the courts.