Nude picture teacher fined

14 January 2014 - 02:30 By Leonie Wagner
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
File photo.
File photo.
Image: Times Media

A Johannesburg school teacher who sent a picture of himself naked to a pupil has paid R3 000 to make the case go away.

The Times has learnt that on December 11, Hyde Park High School teacher Jeffrey Ostrowick, 37, pleaded guilty in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court to contravening the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, relating to the unlawful and intentional display or exposure of pornography to a child.

In exchange for his guilty plea, he was sentenced to a fine of R3000 or six months’ imprisonment, as well as a further five-year prison sentence, suspended for five years.

The charges related to a photograph Ostrowick took of himself in the bath holding his genitals, which he sent to a 17-year-old male pupil.

In his affidavit before court, Ostrowick, who previously taught English at the school and is former head of its Computer Studies department, admitted that he had “no right to act in such a manner” and that he knew his actions were “wrongful”. 

According to media reports, in July last year the teenager’s mother saw the pornographic image of Ostrowick on her son’s phone. She started a 20-minute conversation with the teacher on WhatsApp, in which she pretended to be her son.

It was reported that throughout the conversation, the teacher made sexual suggestions and sent several images believed to be child pornography. The mother reported the matter to the school the next day and Ostrowick was suspended eight days later.

The incident sparked outrage among parents who criticised the Gauteng Department of Education and the school for dragging its feet and not suspending the teacher sooner.

The department launched an independent investigation into how the case was handled.

Yesterday, although the Justice Department was unable to confirm whether Ostrowick’s name had been placed on the national register for sex offenders, spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Education, Phumla Sekhonyane, told The Times that he would not teach again.

Sekhonyane said that Ostrowick had been “deemed him to be discharged from the service on account of misconduct”, which meant that he could not be re-employed in the public service in any capacity.

“The department has referred the matter to the South African Council for Educators for appropriate action to be taken,” she added.

The school refused to comment on the matter when contacted yesterday.

Shaheda Omar from the Teddy Bear Clinic, a non-governmental organisation dealing with abused children, said the sentence was “laughable” and of “grave concern” because it failed to deter sex offenders from committing similar crimes against children.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now