Primary teacher on indecency charges

A primary school teacher has been arrested and charged with indecently assaulting pupils at the Auckland school where he worked.

Suppression orders prevent the Herald from publishing the name of the school, the teacher or the alleged victims.

However, police said the arrest came about following a "full and thorough" investigation.

It is understood that police from the child protection unit conducted video interviews with pupils aged between 5 and 10.

In at least three interviews, the children's statements about the circumstances around the alleged offending were almost identical.

The man appeared in a district court in the Auckland area, and was remanded on bail. He is scheduled to reappear next month.

Parents whose children attend the school were informed of the charges in a letter from the principal.

It is understood the man had been teaching at the school for a long time.

The arrest follows other cases of sexual offences against young people.

In August, Kaitaia man James Parker, 37, pleaded guilty to 49 charges of sexually abusing boys at Pamapuria School.

Last month, police laid a further 23 charges against Parker including performing indecent acts, indecent assault and sexual violation.

The charges date back to 1999 and Parker is yet to enter a plea on the latest counts.

In July, Papatoetoe High School teacher Damian Christopher Gillard, 43, was suspended after police charged him with a raft of sex and drug-related offending in connection with seven young women.

Gillard initially faced three charges of grooming for sex, unlawful sexual connection with a child aged between 12 and 16 and offering to supply methamphetamine (P).

However, several other alleged victims have since come forward and police laid four additional charges of indecency with a girl aged 12-16, one of indecent assault, two further charges of offering to supply P, two of supplying P and one charge of assisting someone under 18 to supply sexual services.

Gillard has denied the charges.

In September, teacher aide Kevin Dean McMillian, 19, was to serve an 18-month intensive supervision order and 200 hours of community work for offending that included exchanging more than 400 text messages, many of a sexual nature, with a 13-year-old girl.