Gold Coast teacher charged with AI-generated child exploitation material
A 73-year-old former high school teacher in Gold Coast, Australia has been charged with creating explicit AI-generated images depicting students and staff members using his work computer. Queensland Police launched a formal investigation after the school discovered the material in October and terminated the employee; he is scheduled to appear in court on August 6, 2026.
What happened
Robert John Thomas, a 73-year-old former teacher at A.B. Paterson College in Arundel, Queensland, used his work-issued laptop and AI software to generate explicit images depicting both children and adults.
A complaint was lodged in October last year after explicit AI-generated images falsely depicting staff members and students were found on his digital account. The school terminated his employment immediately upon discovery and reported the matter to Queensland Police.
Reported impact
Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Aubort stated that the misuse of artificial intelligence to create child exploitation material was a serious criminal offence that causes real harm to victims, regardless of whether the images have been digitally generated.
Index analysis
The school's principal Joanne Sheehy stated they did not believe the former teacher had distributed or shared the AI-generated images, and all material was secured, quarantined and handed to Queensland Police in full.
Governance controls
Following discovery of the content, the school's internal investigation determined the staff member's conduct amounted to serious misconduct and their employment was terminated immediately in accordance with legal and school protocols.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.