‘Watch porn to learn more about sex’: Court told of vile predator teacher’s years-long relationship with 12yo

WARNING: CONFRONTING DETAILS A former teacher groomed a 12-year-old through Instagram messages before committing vile sexual acts against them, and telling them to “watch porn” to learn more about sex, a court has heard. For years, Kellie Ann-Marie Whiteside (nee Baynham) groomed, manipulated and abused the child. What began as friendship progressed to the pair sharing Instagram posts and messages, then to making private accounts where they would follow each other and share a passcode so they knew they were only talking to each other. By the time the child was 13, the pair were in a sexual relationship. The same person, who identifies as gender-neutral, stared down Whiteside, now 44, at Brisbane District Court on Tuesday as they revealed nearly a decade of memories had been “tainted” by the former teacher’s actions. “I felt hopeless and worthless knowing there was nothing I could do to change what has been done,” the victim said. “I was groomed to believe sexual acts equate to how much someone loves me. “She (Whiteside) is a big black cloud that will permanently float over all my milestone memories.” Whiteside was called a “selfish, manipulative, terrifying” representation of a “small group of predatory educators”. The complainant’s family spoke of their feelings of failure to protect their child from Whiteside. “Kellie has taken multiple milestones in (our child’s) life and stained them,” the mother said. Whiteside was initially charged with 30 offences related to the offending but on Tuesday pleaded guilty to a single count of repeated sexual conduct with a child. The other 29 charges were discontinued by the prosecution. The court was told Whiteside was introduced to the complainant when the child was only 12. Their relationship progressed from spending time together twice a week to Whiteside becoming “attached” – beginning to send messages over Instagram admitting she felt lonely if she did not see the child. “(Whiteside) told the complainant to keep their messages a secret,” crown prosecutor Cameron Wilkins said. Mr Wilkins told the court the pair set up private Instagram accounts where they only followed each other and created a “password” or code they could say to each other so they “knew they were not talking to anyone else”. The pair’s relationship grew “more romantic”, Whiteside admitting to the child she was unhappy with her husband and sex life and that she had pleasured herself. The court was told the child did not understand – to which Whiteside told her to “watch porn to learn more about sex”. Whiteside’s charge of repeated sexual conduct involved her kissing and sexually assaulting the victim over a three-year period. This first involved Whiteside having sex with the complainant in toilets. “Other sexual acts occurred while the two were driving places in the defendant’s car, in a restaurant’s car park, in hotel rooms or on balconies, (and) at the complainant or defendant’s homes,” Mr Wilkins told the court. “There were various sexualised messages exchanged between the two … including the sending of intimate images,” At other times the child was given alcohol to become tipsy or drunk before sexual acts, he said. The victim raised concerns about what they were doing in June 2015, but Whiteside insisted there was “nothing wrong”. The court was told the relationship continued until March 2023 and a complaint was made to police the following year. In sentencing Whiteside to five years’ jail, District Court Chief Judge Brian Devereaux made her eligible for parole in March 2027. He took into account the teacher’s remorse and her work with a psychologist in the years since. The court was told Whiteside had lost her teaching job and would never work in the field again – effectively isolating her from her peer group. Whiteside otherwise had no criminal history and the offending was against the backdrop of her marriage breakdown. “It was an outrageous breach of trust however way you look at it,” Judge Devereaux said. Domestic Violence helplines