Teacher’s Pet Chris Dawson sexual assault verdict

Chris Dawson has been found guilty of having a sexual relationship with an underage student, meaning years in prison could add up.

Dawson, 74, has already been told he will die in prison after being sentenced to a minimum of 18 years last year for the murder of his wife Lynette, who disappeared from their Bayview home in early 1982.

Dawson is now a two-time convicted felon after court judge Sarah Huggett found him guilty on Wednesday of one count of carnal knowledge over his sexual relationship with a then-16-year-old college student, who can only be known as AB.

The former Newtown Jets back rower fought the allegations at trial, denying the woman’s version of events that she was in his 11 years when they first engaged in sexual activity.

However, after a two-week trial earlier this month, Judge Huggett accepted AB’s testimony that they first engaged in sexual activity at his parents’ home in Maroubra around August or September 1980, when she was 16.

During her testimony, AB told the court she engaged in sexual activity with Dawson in the backseat of his car, in his school office, and in a swimming pool.

It was not in dispute that Dawson engaged in sexual activity with his teenage student, but what mattered was the timing of the first instance.

Through his lawyer, Claire Wasley, he claimed it didn’t happen until she was in Year 12 in 1981.

AB told Judge Huggett that they first had sexual activity on his parents’ bed.

During her testimony, AB told the court that afterwards he asked if she was okay, saying, “I hope this was helpful,” “it was a good start,” and “you did very well.”

“I was told to keep it a secret,” AB said.

She claimed he had first encountered her the year before when a topless photo of her began circulating around the schoolyard and he returned it to her.

AB said Dawson later told her that he had maneuvered so that he would teach her the following year.

Dawson’s legal team disputed that he had any control over which students were in his class.

She also said she would see him at a pub on the north beach on Friday night.

“He used to sit there and tell me about himself, how great he was,” AB said during her testimony.

“It was part of the grooming process… to get me to trust him, which I did.”

AB testified that Dawson left “hundreds” of love notes in her school bag and gave her cards on special occasions.

AB said she would sometimes accompany Chris to teach at Linfield School, which he taught with his twin brother Paul.

She said she had sexual activity with Dawson in the school pool on one occasion, while Paul had sexual activity with another young girl on the other.

Paul Dawson has not been charged with any criminal offence.

AB gave evidence that Dawson gave her an ‘improper’ advance during a driving lesson in 1980.

And on a later occasion, she had sexual activity with him for the first time, she told the court.

The driving lesson came up as a key point during the trial, as did the gist of her timeline of events and when she says the first sexual activity happened.

The court has learned that she was not eligible for her learner permit until November 1980.

According to the indictment, Dawson was charged with sexual activity with the teen between July 1 and December 31, 1980.

In her evidence, she later said that the “improper” act could in fact have happened when they were in fact spending time in the car.

She added that he often drove her to sports lessons and other places, and it may not have been a driving lesson.

Judge Huggett accepted that the sexual activity occurred before AB turned 17 in February 1981.

Dawson will return to court for sentencing proceedings at a later date.

Dawson has previously indicated that he intends to appeal his murder conviction.