(AUSTRALIA)
Australian Broadcasting Corporation - ABC [Sydney, Australia]
July 14, 2026
By Jack Colantuono
In short:
A former Gippsland primary school teacher is standing trial in the Latrobe Valley County Court after being charged with child sexual abuse offences dating back to 1999.
Prosecutor David O’Doherty told the jury Nicole Anne Jones, formerly Nicky Cravino, groomed the boy and sexually assaulted him over a lengthy period.
What’s next?
The trial is expected to run for about two weeks.
A Victorian primary school teacher allegedly groomed, indecently assaulted and made a boy sexually penetrate her in the late 1990s, a jury has heard.
Warning: This story contains detailed descriptions of alleged child sexual assault.
Nicole Anne Jones, formerly known as Nicky Cravino, is charged with 19 counts of indecent act with a child under 16 and one count of sexual penetration of a child under 16.
Sexual assault support lines:
- Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491
- Lifeline (24-hour crisis line): 131 114
- Victims of Crime Helpline: 1800 819 817
- Full Stop Australia: 1800 385 578
Prosecutor David O’Doherty told Latrobe Valley County Court that the alleged offending took place in 1999, when Ms Jones was 27 years old and working at a Gippsland Catholic primary school.
The alleged victim, now in his late 30s, came forward in 2022 and Ms Jones was arrested, charged and suspended from teaching.
Ms Jones, 54, has denied any wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The trial, which began on Tuesday, heard Ms Jones had visited the boy’s house for dinner on a few occasions.
Mr O’Doherty told the court she would tuck the child into bed, suck his earlobes and rub his legs and arms.
The court heard the boy would sit on Ms Jones’s lap and that she took him to watch football and cricket games.
The jury heard Ms Jones visited the boy in hospital, brought him chocolates and kissed him on the forehead.
Mr O’Doherty told the court the boy’s former classmates said Ms Jones favoured him and that he was considered the “teacher’s pet”.
‘Kissing’ game
Ms Jones allegedly told the child she loved him and wrote a card to him that said, “Roses are red, violets are blue, if you were older, I’d marry you.”
The court heard the former teacher touched the boy’s buttocks and genitals and would play a tongue and kissing game with him.
Support for young people and families
- The Butterfly Foundation: National helpline 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673), 8am-midnight (AEST/AEDT), 7 days a week
- ReachOut Australia: Confidential online peer support for young people and online resources for wellbeing
- Headspace: Centres in each state and territory or check out eheadspace for online support
- The Kids Helpline: 24-hour support on 1800 55 1800
- Lifeline: 24-hour support for all Australians on 13 11 14
Ms Jones took the boy shopping, spoiled him with gifts and took him to watch a movie, the court heard.
She allegedly told the boy she wished she could be with him and that “bad things” would happen if he ever told anyone about them.
Mr O’Doherty told the court that on another occasion Ms Jones exposed herself and rubbed up against the boy, who was only wearing boxer shorts, which eventually led to penetration.
The court heard the boy “felt he loved her” and went along with the intercourse.
Ms Jones also allegedly had “dry sex” with the boy in her car.
Defence barrister Paul Kounnas told the court Ms Jones denied any kissing or sexual contact with the boy.
“The defence is that none of these allegations happened. Not a single one,” Mr Kounnas said.
The trial before Judge Geoffrey Chettle is expected to run for about two weeks.