Counsellor sent to jail for breach of trust
A DISGRACED school guidance counsellor will remain behind bars after pleading guilty to maintaining a sexual relationship with a “vulnerable” student.
Anna Maria Johnson “breached” her position of trust while employed at Heatley Secondary College when she began a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old.
Johnson, 51, faced Townsville District Court on Thursday where she pleaded guilty to 10 offences including grooming, indecent treatment of a child under 16 and maintaining an unlawful relationship with a child.
Crown Prosecutor Monique Sheppard said Johnson, a mother of three, met the 14-year-old boy in 2015 but that there was “no suggestion” of anything inappropriate taking place until 2016 when the pair began meeting outside school.
Over the course of the relationship the pair met at Johnson’s office and in public including at Castle Hill and Queens Gardens. The court was told her offending consisted of hugging, kissing, and mutual masturbation – which occurred multiple times at the school and in public.
“This was a gross breach of trust,” Ms Sheppard said.
“She abused that position of trust to form an inappropriate relationship with (him).”
Ms Sheppard said the pair exchanged messages on the school’s email system which were later turned over to police.
In the messages they expressed feelings towards each other, ending the notes with sign-offs including: “love you”, “xo” and “miss you”.
Johnson was charged with maintaining a sexual relationship with the boy for seven months between March and October 2016, but the court was told the pair stayed in contact after the boy turned the age of consent.
At one point his grandmother approached Johnson concerned, but the 51-year-old lied about the relationship and later proceeded to purchase a phone for the boy to contact her.
Ms Sheppard said it was an “aggravating” feature the relationship continued after the school and the boy’s family intervened.
In his own words, the boy said it took time to realise the “real impact” Johnson’s offending had on his life as a teenager.
“It is like having a blindfold pulled off my face,” the boy told police in an interview.
Defence lawyer Dan Rogers accepted his client “clearly” knew the relationship was inappropriate but asked the court to consider her remorse and the extra punishment faced since the public learned of her crimes.
“She is disgusted, she is embarrassed and completely ashamed about what she has done,” Mr Rogers said.
“She was a teacher then a counsellor for many years and all of that is lost as a result of her offending.
“She did something that defendants rarely do, she voluntarily surrendered into custody. For someone with no (criminal) history it is somewhat of a brave thing to do.”
He said Johnson lost her career, her blue card and her marriage, experienced “hardship” spending time in custody and faced “intense” public shaming and isolation after media reports about the offending.
Further, Mr Rogers submitted the sexual relationship was consensual and did not involve any penetration.
In sentencing, Judge Paul Smith said he took into account Johnson’s lack of criminal history.
She said a psychiatrist found the 51-year-old was not diagnosed with a sexual deviancy but that she pursued the relationship due to unmet physical or emotional needs.
“This was a gross breach of trust, he was vulnerable. You knew this was wrong but continued the relationship,” he said.
“You crossed boundaries … and pursued this relationship to meet your need of emotional intimacy.”
Johnson was sentenced to a head sentence of three-and-a-half years’ jail suspended after serving nine months. The 146 days she spent in custody after surrendering to the court was considered time already served.
The sentence will hang over her head for three-and-a-half years after she is released later this year.