A senior teacher at one of Sydney’s most prestigious schools has been charged over his alleged role in an online child abuse ring.
Cody Reynolds was the head of English at Moriah College in the eastern suburbs before being stood down on Wednesday.
The 36-year-old was arrested by Australian Federal Police officers at his home in Kensington, which he shares with his husband.
He is accused of possessing and sharing child abuse material through a laptop and two mobile phones.
Reynolds appeared via videolink dressed in a cream jacket and white shirt from a police holding cell at Central Local Court on Thursday.
Magistrate John Favretto on Thursday morning granted Mr Reynolds’s release application while he answers several serious charges.
He has been charged with possessing child abuse material, using a carriage service to transmit, publish or distribute child abuse material and possessing or controlling child abuse material accessed by a carriage service.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years behind bars.
He was identified as a result of the analysis of data seized during last week‘s arrest of a 26-year-old lower north shore man, police have said.
Magistrate Favretto told the court on Thursday that it’s alleged Mr Reynolds was caught with a “large number” of videos involving pubescent children and some still in their “infant years”
Police opposed his bail application noting he was under the oversight of a school and a working with children check when the alleged offences occurred.
Police told the court they were also concerned that he could interfere with the investigation by destroying material which could be contained in storage clouds or elsewhere.
The court heard that Mr Reynolds had admitted to owning the electronic devices however had made no admissions about the child abuse material or its transmission.
Mr Favretto told the court that Mr Reynolds had told officers that he had on occasions left the devices in staff rooms at school unattended.
However the magistrate noted some of the allegations relate to online activity outside of school hours between 5pm and 7pm.
The prosecution also pointed to an alleged online interaction between Mr Reynolds and another person in which they discussed the age of a child in a piece of child abuse material.
The other person noted the child was “too young lol”.
When Mr Reynolds was asked about his age preference he allegedly replied “11”, the court heard.
The court heard police were still examining Mr Reynolds’ devices and more charges could be laid.
However his lawyer Ryan Coffey argued his client did not represent a danger to the community, noting he had worked in schools for 10 years and had never been charged with abusing a child.
“He hasn’t been charged with manufacturing or creating this kind of exploitation material, he’s been charged with possession and control of the material,” Mr Coffey said.
Mr Favretto granted Mr Reynolds bail on several conditions including that he live at a Surry Hills address, only use one mobile phone which could be inspected by police, surrender his passport and report daily to police.
“What concerns me is what would be a lengthy delay to finalise proceedings,” Mr Favretto said.
“I suspect even if he pleaded guilty, that would be some way down the track and won’t be for several months.
“If it’s defended, we’re not looking at a trial date until well into 2023 some time.”
Mr Reynolds will next appear in court on May 3.
Moriah College principal Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler informed school parents of the arrest in a letter on Wednesday.
“This morning we were contacted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to inform us that our High School Head of English, Mr Cody Reynolds, has been arrested and charged in relation to the possession and transmission of child abuse material,” Rabbi Smukler wrote.
“We have been assured by the AFP that there is currently no evidence or information to suggest that any of the (alleged) offences occurred at school, or that any charges relate to online, or in person contact, with Moriah College students.
“Mr Reynolds commenced at Moriah as Head of English in 2021. He was recruited in-line with our stringent Employment Policy, which includes thorough referencing and child safety vetting.”
