'Favourite teacher' on child sex charges
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A former Adelaide primary school teacher has gone on trial in the District Court charged with sexually abusing one of his students.
Brett Ronald Macbeth, 41, was a senior teacher at the Aberfoyle Park Hub Primary School when the alleged abuse took place.
Macbeth is alleged to have groomed his young victim through various school activities, using his popularity among students to win the boy's trust.
Now an adult, the alleged victim has told the jury that Macbeth liked to be known as "Mr Mac".
"Mr Mac was everyone's favourite teacher I guess, everyone wanted to be in his class,'' the man said.
"He had a lot of parents write to the principal asking if their child could be in his class next year.''
The alleged victim said he was 12 when he met Macbeth, who was teaching a class called "Boys In Relationships".
The young man said Macbeth had started out as a kind of "mentor" but had betrayed his trust by encouraging him to commit various sexual acts over one year.
Macbeth has denied the charges.
