Paid for sex tape
Oberon teacher reveals regret
OBERON High School sex tape teacher John Walsh was paid for the online movie that sparked an investigation – and his resignation.
Mr Walsh last night told Channel 10’s The Project he sold the video, in which he was filmed having sex with former student and current partner Sarah Bradford, to a membersonly adult porn website. It is understood the couple received $1500 for the footage.
The video went public and was circulated by students on social-networking site Facebook, sparking outrage and a Department of Education investigation.
Mr Walsh was asked by The Project panel members what he was thinking when he made the tape.
‘‘Well, I wish I was (thinking) . . . and if I had my time over again surely that wouldn’t be what I was doing,’’ he replied.
‘‘ I think the way it all occurred is somewhat misconstrued by people.’’
The Project panel member Carrie Bickmore then questioned Mr Walsh’s actions.
‘‘But you are a VCE media teacher, so of all the teachers to know the dangers of the internet and how things can be made public, you would know,’’ she said.
Mr Walsh replied that ‘‘the irony is not lost on me at all’’.
‘‘ If there’s any message, there’s no safe place on the internet,’’ he said.
‘‘It was supposed to be restricted so I don’t think it was ever meant to be in the public domain and obviously it’s leaked out and the rest is history.’’
Ms Bradford was also forced to defend claims the pair had an affair while at Oberon.
She said Mr Walsh had been her teacher and they had been friends at school ‘‘in a teacherstudent manner’’.
‘‘I was out of the state for two years and I sent John a message and we got together and we’ve been together 18 months since then, so it’s not an affair like people seem to think,’’ she said.
‘‘We’ve been in a relationship and living together for 15 months.’’
Mr Walsh was also asked whether he was entitled to a private life.
‘‘You’d think so, although I see both sides because clearly the whole morality is not fixed – it’s polarised people – but if I was a plumber this wouldn’t be an issue, would it?’’ he said.
‘‘Take the morality issue out of it, I think the hurt it’s caused really affected me. I’m very fond of the school and I didn’t really want it impacting on any one person.’’
Mr Walsh, of Highton, handed in his resignation on Wednesday but is free to teach at another school.