A former teacher on Sydney's upper north shore is alleged to have sexually abused five children over nearly 30 years, including on his yacht moored at Pittwater, at his home and on school grounds. The man, given the pseudonym Rick Jarvis by the Herald, has been refused bail and pleaded not guilty to 10 charges including sexual intercourse with a person under 10 and maintaining an unlawful relationship with a child.
Jarvis taught high school from the 1980s until his dismissal in 2011, after the NSW Department of Education investigated him over alleged inappropriate relationships with female students. He was arrested in January while living in a caravan and has been in custody since.
According to the Crown case statement, the alleged abuse involved a former student, a family friend and three of Jarvis' granddaughters. Incidents are said to have taken place at his home, on his yacht moored at Pittwater, in his car and in a school supplies room. Prosecutors allege Jarvis contacted two of the complainants during the 2010 investigation and told one to delete correspondence.
Opposing bail, the Crown submitted that Jarvis "used his position of authority and trust to exploit the vulnerability of the child complainants". Prosecutors said they were concerned the alleged offending often occurred brazenly with others nearby.
Jarvis was refused bail and will next appear in the District Court on Thursday. He has pleaded not guilty to 10 charges, including sexual intercourse with a person under 10 and maintaining an unlawful relationship with a child.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The case involves allegations of extensive abuse by a teacher over many years, highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability.
- The 15-year gap between the initial investigation in 2010 and the arrest in 2026 raises questions about how such allegations are handled.
- The trial will test the legal system's approach to historical child sexual abuse cases.
Background
Jarvis taught high school on Sydney's upper north shore from the 1980s until his dismissal in 2011, after the NSW Department of Education investigated him over alleged inappropriate relationships with female students. He was not arrested until January 2026, after a victim's mother went to police in 2023, prompting other alleged victims to come forward.
Key Perspectives
Crown prosecutors: allege Jarvis used his position of authority and trust to exploit the vulnerability of the child complainants and argued he should not be granted bail.
Rick Jarvis (pseudonym): has pleaded not guilty to all 10 charges, and his defense has not yet been presented.
What to Watch
- The District Court hearing on Thursday.
- Whether additional alleged victims come forward.
- Scrutiny of the Department of Education's initial investigation and the delay between the first complaint and arrest.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedA former Sydney upper-north-shore teacher is accused of sexually abusing five children at home, at school and on his yacht over nearly 30 years.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “A former teacher on Sydney’s upper north shore allegedly molested five children at home, school and on his yacht over nearly three decades.”
- SupportedThe alleged abuse included incidents on a yacht moored at Pittwater, at the man’s home and on school grounds.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The 75-year-old is accused of sexually abusing a year nine student on school grounds as well as three grandchildren and a family friend on his yacht, at his house and in his car.”
- SupportedThe man is 75, was refused bail and pleaded not guilty to 10 charges.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The 75-year-old is accused”
- SupportedThe Herald gave the man the pseudonym Rick Jarvis.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The Herald has used pseudonyms for the man and his alleged victims to protect the complainants’ identities.”
- SupportedThe charges include sexual intercourse with a person under 10 and maintaining an unlawful relationship with a child.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “He pleaded not guilty to 10 charges, including sexual intercourse with a person under 10, grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity, maintaining an unlawful relationship with a child and indecently assaulting a person under 16.”
- SupportedJarvis taught high school from the 1980s until his dismissal in 2011, after a Department of Education investigation into alleged inappropriate relationships with female students.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “In 2010, the NSW Department of Education investigated Jarvis over alleged inappropriate relationships with female students, leading to his dismissal the following year, according to the Crown case statement.”
- SupportedJarvis was arrested in January while living in a caravan and has remained in custody since.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Police arrested Jarvis in January 2026 while he was living in a caravan, and has remained in custody since.”
- SupportedThe Crown case statement says the alleged abuse involved a former student, a family friend and Jarvis’ three granddaughters.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The 75-year-old is accused of sexually abusing a year nine student on school grounds as well as three grandchildren and a family friend”
- SupportedProsecutors allege Jarvis contacted two complainants during the 2010 investigation and told one to delete correspondence.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “During the investigation, prosecutors allege Jarvis contacted both Kate (by email) and Sarah (via Facebook). When Sarah expressed concern about getting into trouble, Jarvis replied: “No you won’t [get in trouble], you are allowed to communicate, just me that gets in the shit and if we don’t give them access to our accounts and get rid of this chatsetc [sic] there is nothing for them”.”
- SupportedThe Crown said Jarvis used his position of authority and trust to exploit the vulnerability of the child complainants.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The Crown alleged Jarvis “used his position of authority and trust to exploit the vulnerability of the child complainants”.”
- SupportedProsecutors were concerned the alleged offending often occurred brazenly with others nearby.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Prosecutors were concerned the alleged crimes were often committed brazenly with others nearby”
- SupportedJarvis was refused bail and will next appear in the District Court on Thursday.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Jarvis was refused bail and will next face the District Court on Thursday.”