Guilty! James Robertson Parker, Kaitaia, New Zealand (arrested July 2012)

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James Robertson Parker , teacher & deputy principal at Pamapuria School, Kaitaia, New Zealand, "pleaded guilty to 49 charges of indecently assaulting young boys"

James Parker initially pleaded guilty to 49 counts of sexual abuse. In November, 2012, he is facing another 23 counts involving four boys. I have a total of about three dozen articles and links to post as time permits.

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3 News: 'Pied Piper' of Kaitaia 'sorry' for crimes (Aug 22 2012)

A Northland teacher sobbed in court today as he pleaded guilty to 49 charges of indecently assaulting young boys. James Parker was described by one of those at court as the "Pied Piper" of Pamapuria School, near Kaitaia. But even as he admitted his guilt, Parker also pleaded for understanding, saying he is not the monster people think he is. The 37-year-old was a primary school teacher and deputy principal at this Pamapuria School for 12 years. He's now pleaded guilty to 25 charges of indecent assault, 15 of performing an indecent act and nine of unlawful sexual connection.

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New Zealand Herald: Sex abuse teacher 'not a monster' (Aug 22 2012)

A tearful 37-year-old Far North teacher has admitted 49 charges of sexually abusing juvenile boys but told a packed courtroom he is not the monster many will portray him to be. Many of those in the public gallery at Kaitaia District Court sobbed as James Robertson Parker struggled with his emotions while 25 charges of indecent assault, 15 of performing an indecent act and nine of unlawful sexual connection were read to him, each answered with a plea of guilty. Parker - a teacher and deputy principal at Pamapuria School, outside Kaitaia, at the time of his arrest last month - was remanded in custody for sentencing on November 15. Judge John McDonald said sentencing would take place in Kaitaia, where the offences were committed.​

 

3 News: Deputy principal pleads guilty to indecent assault (Aug 22 2012)

James Parker was the deputy principal at Pamapuria School in Kaitaia at the time of the offending. He entered tearful pleas to each charge read aloud to him when he appeared at Kaitaia District Court today​

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Trauma teams have been brought into the community to support Parker's many victims, who are thought to number more than 30. The alleged offending has happened over several years.​

 

New Zealand Herald: All I can say is I'm sorry: Abuser (Aug 22 2012)

The Board of Trustees at a Far North primary school quit when they realised the serious challenges they would face in investigating how their deputy principal sexually abused male students over a prolonged period of time. A commissioner has been appointed to oversee the running of Pamapuria School, outside Kaitaia, and at least the initial stages of an investigation.

A tearful James Robertson Parker, 36, appeared at Kaitaia District Court this morning and admitted 16 charges of an indecent act on a boy under the age of 12, 24 charges of an indecent act on a boy aged 12 to 16, four charges of sexual connection with a child under 12, and five charges of sexual connection with a child aged 12 to 16.

 

Stuff: Disgust over teacher's sexual offending (Aug 22 2012)

Many Kaitaia parents will be hurting over the offending of a trusted teacher who sexually assaulted a dozen boys, a resident says. James Parker, 37, appeared in Kaitaia District Court this morning where he pleaded guilty to 49 charges involving indecent assault and sexual connection with children aged 12 - 16, and committing indecent acts and sexual assault on boys under 12. Parker was deputy principal at Pamapuria School in Kaitaia when the assaults took place, between November 2005 and last month. ​

 

TV NZ: Teacher makes tearful apology for sex crimes (Aug 22 2012)

A teacher who sexually assaulted young boys at a Northland school while he was the deputy principal says "he wishes he could fix the damage" he has caused. James Parker, 37, pleaded guilty in Kaitaia District Court this morning to all 49 charges relating to sex crimes against boys. He was the deputy principal at Pamapuria School, near Kaitaia, when he sexually assaulted 12 of his students between 2004 and 2012. Parker cried as he read out an apology in front of a packed public gallery today.​

 

Stuff: Kaitaia school warned about sex teacher (Aug 23 2012)

It was revealed today the school failed to act for three years on a warning by police or tell the Education Review Office about potential problems around Parker. The police warned Pamapuria School in 2009 about Parker after a complaint from a child via a parent - police could not gather enough evidence to prosecute Parker, but decided to write to the school to alert trustees.​

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The attacks, on boys aged under 16, occurred over a period of nearly eight years up until his arrest last month. Most of Parker's sexual abuse against students occurred after police warned Pamapuria School that he should not have pupils staying at his house overnight, Parker's lawyer Alex Witten-Hannah said. But Witten-Hannash said the school did "nothing constructive" about the police warning. ​

 

Teacher Verification: Kaitaia school warned about sex teacher (Aug 23 2012)

A crackdown on schools has been ordered in the wake of a Northland school failing to act on police warnings its deputy principal was a sexual predator. James Parker, deputy principal of Pamapuria School, yesterday admitted sexually preying on pupils. It was revealed today the school failed to act for three years on a warning by police or tell the Education Review Office about potential problems around Parker. The police warned Pamapuria School in 2009 about Parker after a complaint from a child via a parent – police could not gather enough evidence to prosecute Parker, but decided to write to the school to alert trustees.​

 

3 News: Complaints about James Parker made in 2009 (Aug 23 2012)

A Far North teacher who has this week admitted charges of sexual offending against boys under 16 was investigated by three government agencies three years ago following a complaint. James Parker, 37, who was the deputy principal of rural Pamapuria School, south of Kaitaia, when he was arrested last month, pleaded guilty in Kaitaia District Court on Wednesday to 49 charges, including indecent assault and unlawful sexual connection.​

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A police investigation into his offending began in early July and Parker was arrested on July 13. However, it's been revealed that Parker was the subject of an investigation by police, the Ministry of Education and Child Youth and Family (CYF) in 2009.​

 

3 News: Concerns over teacher raised 16 years ago (Aug 24 2012)

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James Parker, 37, who was the deputy principal of Kaitaia's Pamapuria School when he was arrested last month, admitted 49 charges of sexual offending involving around a dozen boys aged 11 to 13.​

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A former principal who employed Parker when he was in his early 20s told Radio New Zealand she had raised concerns with police about him 16 years ago. She said Parker had pupils of a poorer school - whose stressed parents needed a break - stay at his house for sleepovers, and he would share his bed or tent with pupils on school trips. A former flatmate of Parker's backed up claims he would sleep in the same room as children at the house.​

 

Stuff: Predator teacher 'flagged' in 1999 (Aug 24 2012)

A Northland deputy principal who has admitted sexually abusing pupils was flagged as a potential predator in 1999 as a student teacher but signed off as suitable anyway. Despite a further warning in 2009 - that time by police - he was allowed to continue as a teacher for 11 years until his arrest last month. Concerns about James Parker were first lodged with the Teachers' Council when he was a provisional teacher, having newly started in the profession. ​

 

3 News: Pamapuria School abuse could have been avoided (Aug 24 2012)

A police warning three years ago wasn't enough for a Northland school to take action against its deputy principal, who has now admitted sexually preying on his pupils ... [former Children’s Commissioner Ian Hassall]Hassall believes the current case could have been avoided. “My understanding of this is if the protocols had been followed, then this wouldn’t have happened,” he says.​

 

New Zealand Herald: More claims against teacher in abuse case (Aug 25 2012)

More children have come forward with complaints against a teacher who this week admitted 49 charges of sexually abusing pupils - and police say they are stretching back their investigation to the mid-1990s. Commissioner Larry Forbes, who was appointed this month to Pamapuria School near Kaitaia, said that since James Parker's identity was revealed on Wednesday more children had contacted authorities ... In Kaitaia District Court this week Parker was convicted of sexually assaulting 12 of his students between 2004 and 2012.​

 

Stuff: Crimes shock rural community (Aug 29 2012)

Police are continuing the investigation into a deputy principal who has pleaded guilty to 49 charges of indecent assault, performing an indecent act and unlawful sexual connection against children in his care. James Parker was a trusted teacher at Pamapuria School before his arrest and acceptance of guilt left many in the community and across New Zealand shocked. The offences, on boys aged under 16, occurred over nearly eight years up until his arrest last month ... Most of Parker's sexual abuse against students occurred after police warned the school that he should not have pupils staying at his house overnight, his lawyer Alex Witten-Hannah says. The school did "nothing constructive" about it, he says. The police warning in 2009 came as a result of a tentative complaint from a child via a parent, he told Radio New Zealand. The lack of action from the school in the wake of the strongly worded police letter was quite extraordinary, he says. "It almost beggars belief. I had to see the letter with my own eyes to believe it." ​

 

Northern Advocate: More calls to police on James Parker (Aug 30 2012)

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Police have so far received 30 calls - some from as far away as Christchurch - after an appeal for any other victims of disgraced Far North teacher James Parker to come forward ... After Parker's court appearance last week, police set up an 0800 number for anyone with information that could help the ongoing investigation. Detective Senior Sergeant Kevin Burke, of the Northland child protection unit, said police had received about 30 calls - some from potential victims who had not previously come forward, some from former colleagues, and others with general information helpful to the inquiry. Most were from the Kaitaia area but a few calls had come from as far away as Christchurch.​

 

New Zealand Herald: Pupils taunted over teacher abuse (Aug 30 2012)

Pupils from a Far North college are being taunted after a disgraced deputy principal [James Parker] pleaded guilty to abusing primary school boys ... Yesterday it emerged that Parker's actions have now affected pupils in the wider Northland community. Kaitaia College principal William Tailby said he believed former Pamapuria pupils now at his college had been taunted after the case blew up nationally.​

 

New Zealand Herald: More of child abuser's past emerges (Sept 1 2012)

More teachers who worked with convicted sex offender James Parker have contacted police about his "concerning behaviour" since details of his lurid past were made public last week ... is first principal then spoke out about raising concerns with police in 1996 when Parker was a first-year teacher. She complained to an officer in Kaitaia about Parker hosting pupils in his home overnight and sharing his bed with them. She said her complaint was never dealt with properly. A former pupil of Parker's told the Weekend Herald that the board of trustees at his first school was also aware of the principal's complaint to police and her concerns. However they supported Parker and did not support the principal's claims, the former pupil claimed. The Ministry of Education said this week that it did not receive any complaints about Parker in the 1990s. And they had not been monitoring him in anyway in spite of the 2009 allegations.​

 

Yahoo! News New Zealand: School to investigate offending by abusive deputy principal (Sept 10 2012)

A Kaitaia school is pledging to publicly share the results of an investigation into its abusive former deputy principal. Pamapuria School has appointed an independent investigator who, from this week, will review the extent of James Parker's offending and why it continued for years.​

 

New Zealand herald: Inquiry into sex abuse teacher begins (Sept 10 2012)

An Education Ministry investigation into sexual abuse by a Far North teacher - and, crucially, how it continued for so long - is due to begin this week ... Commissioner Larry Forbes was placed in charge of the school within days of Parker's arrest. He told the Advocate an independent investigation, to be carried out by an expert from the Ministry of Education, was due to start his week ... One of the major questions would be how the abuse was able to continue for such a long time.​

 

Teacher Verification: Predator teacher ‘flagged’ in 1999 (Oct 1 2012)

A Northland deputy principal who has admitted sexually abusing pupils was flagged as a potential predator in 1999 as a student teacher but signed off as suitable anyway. Despite a further warning in 2009 – that time by police – he was allowed to continue as a teacher for 11 years until his arrest last month.​