A former geography teacher at Newington College, one of Sydney’s top private institutions, has been charged with nine sex crimes associated with grooming and abusing a student below the age of 16.
Deandra Kontou, 32, has been charged with aggravated sexual assault, four counts of sexual assault, and using an electronic device to groom her alleged victim. These allegations have not yet been tested in court.
Kontou was arrested at her house in Sutherland, in Sydney’s south, following a police investigation into an allegation involving a teacher and a student at a school located in the inner west of the city, Greek City Times reported. The most serious charge, aggravated sexual assault of a person under her authority, has the same penalty as rape in New South Wales.
The nine charges also include three counts of aggravated sexual touching, according to the outlet’s report on the charge list.
Kontou appeared in Sutherland Local Court last month and was granted conditional bail. Court documents seen by nine.com.au show she must hand over her passport and report to Sutherland Police Station daily.
Kontou, whose maiden name was Haralambidis when she worked at Newington, taught geography at the school in Sydney’s inner west for two years and led a Year 7 mentorship program.
Kontou left in November 2019 after the allegation was reported to college officials.
A Newington College spokesperson told The Sydney Morning Herald that the school does not condone teacher behavior that violates its professional standards or the law. As the matter is before the courts, the spokesperson said the school could not comment further at this stage.
Kontou is the second person connected with Newington to be charged with sex offenses this year. Earlier in 2026, Benjamin David Collinge, a casual music teacher at the school, was charged with grooming a 14-year-old girl online. The school said at the time that no Newington students were involved in that case.
Before her arrest, Kontou had been working as a teacher at Georges River College Senior Campus in Oatley, a public school in southern Sydney that caters to Years 11 and 12 students.
Kontou had been permanently employed by the New South Wales Department of Education at the coeducational senior school since 2024, teaching society and culture, history, and geography.
Police removed Kontou from the school as they prepared charges against her.
The New South Wales Education Standards Authority, which is the independent body responsible for accrediting teachers in the state, has stripped her accreditation.
Kontou still works for the New South Wales government and is currently placed on “alternative duties” because her bail conditions ban her from teaching children.
She will next appear in Burwood Local Court on November 26th.
