Leith Dianne Woods Found Guilty Of Sex Offenses Against Young Student

Former teacher and football coach Leith Dianne Woods was found guilty of child sex offenses against a young student she referred to as her “little sister.”

Leith Woods was on trial in the Western Australian District Court, defending herself against claims that she engaged in inappropriate behavior with the 16-year-old and penetrated her sexually while she was a teacher at a remote school in 2012.

According to the court, the couple first connected outside of school while the girl was in Year 10. Woods had previously coached the Swan Districts Football Club women’s team. Woods took over as her schoolteacher later that year.

After they went on a non-school athletic trip to the South West in 2012 and Woods was no longer her direct teacher, things changed, and the couple started to form a sort of secret connection. the West Australian said.

Since Woods was a teacher at the girl’s school and in a position of authority, the prosecution contended that the relationship was not purely voluntary. The youngster started having issues at home, and the pair grew close.

Woods testified that she initially thought of the girl as a “little sister” and started mentoring her since she thought she was a talented athlete.

She acknowledged in court that she knew her behavior was improper, but she continued the connection anyhow because she had never felt anything for a woman before. I’ve traveled with a lot of men. ‘I felt affection,’ Woods said, ‘but I also felt a connection with her.

The victim, who is now in her twenties, testified that she contacted Woods to apologize after their first sexual encounter while traveling to the South West because she was aware of the predicament she had put her in. She later stated in court that Woods’ reply was “Don’t be silly,” and she didn’t feel bad about it.

The victim detailed the several encounters she said happened throughout her senior year of high school, saying that the two “engaged in sexual activity everywhere we could” after that.

Among them were Woods’ automobile, house, other nearby towns, and two camping trips for the students. Woods denied that the two regularly met to engage in sexual activity or that any of it took place on school property, saying she didn’t want to take the chance of being found out by other teachers or students.

Six of the 16 initial charges against Woods, which she admitted to on the first day of her trial, were dropped. She, on the other hand, denied the other 10, claiming they didn’t take place within the time mentioned. She was cleared of three of the accusations throughout the trial.

After three hours of deliberation, the jury found Woods not guilty of five counts of sexually penetrating a child under her watch and one count of indecent dealing, clearing her of six further accusations. However, they did find her guilty of a second offense: having sex at Woods’ house. The next week, she will be sentenced.