A Sydney high school teacher has been charged after allegedly grooming a student over several years, with child abuse material first discovered by artificial intelligence.
Nathaniel Ballesta, 35, an English teacher at John Edmondson High School in Horningsea Park in southwest Sydney, was arrested at a home in Bardia on Thursday. Police allegedly uncovered a large amount of child abuse material.
According to police, the material was stored on a cloud-based service and was detected by automated systems designed to identify imagery and videos that may contain child abuse material.
The matter was reported to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, which referred it to the NSW Police Sex Crimes Squad on Tuesday.
Police allege the grooming and procuring offending occurred between 2021 and 2025 and involved a teenage girl who was previously his student.
Detective Acting Superintendent Adam Powderly said police had spoken with the alleged victim, who has since been placed under protection.
“It’s very confronting and very concerning when I see trusted members of our community, like educators, allegedly involved in offences like this,” he said.
Ballesta was charged with three counts of possessing child abuse material, two counts of using a carriage service to procure a person under 16 for sexual activity, three counts of causing a child aged 14 or over to make child abuse material, using a carriage service to engage in sexual activity with a child, and possessing child abuse data obtained using a carriage service.
He did not apply for bail when he appeared before Campbelltown Local Court on Friday. He will face court again in July.
Powderly said investigators believed there could be more victims.
“That material does not all relate to the victim in this matter that we’ve identified,” he said. “There may be a likelihood that there’s further victims involved, further victims may be identified and further charges pending.”
The NSW Department of Education confirmed Ballesta had been stood down.
“The employee has been stood down and is unable to work in any NSW public school,” a spokesperson said.
Powderly said it was “concerning” that an educator was allegedly involved in such offences.
“As a parent, as a community member and experienced police officer, it’s very concerning when I see trusted members of our community like educators allegedly involved in offences like this,” he said.
Investigations are continuing.
