Teacher's aide Thomas Gottaas allegedly posed as teenage girl and ‘exploited' boys for explicit material
A former teacher's aide allegedly engaged in catfishing and blackmail to extort explicit images and videos out of multiple boys online.
'Want to make $$$,' Thomas Gottaas is accused of posting in chats on social media site Wizz while claiming he was 16 years old.
He then moved discussions with his alleged victims to a private chat where the exploitation began, court documents reveal.
'Some chick is saying she has stuff of you,' he allegedly told one victim.
'She reckons she will show me if you don't message her.'
At the time, the 19-year-old was working part-time as a teacher's aide at a primary school in Sydney 's southwest.
Victims were told to message social media accounts on a second phone Gottaas allegedly used while posing as a teenage girl.
Boys were told that images and videos of them performing explicit acts would be released to the public if they did not send certain material.
Gottaas is also accused of engaging in child prostitution.
He allegedly sent one victim small amounts of cash between $10 and $30 for explicit videos and paid a second $105 to send two 'extremely graphic' videos between March and November 2024.
Messages found on the 19-year-old's phone show him giving directions about what he wanted the boys to do, court documents reveal.
Four boys aged between 11 and 16 have been identified by police as Gottaas' alleged victims. Each were known to Gottaas.
Officers found alleged child abuse material of four more unknown boys after they seized his phones and laptops.
'The evidence shows that (Gottaas) had a sexual interest in young boys aged below 18 and was actively seeking them out online to source sexually explicit material from them,' court documents filed by prosecutors said.
Investigators also allege one victim attempted to contact Gottaas' mother, Renae Franklin.
'Is Tommy your son? He has asked me to do things online. I am only 16,' the boy wrote.
'Who is this?' Franklin allegedly asked before blocking him.
Gottaas is living under effective home detention with Franklin and his grandfather in Wollongong after being granted bail in early June.
The ex-teacher's aide is described as 'socially awkward and shy' in bail submissions filed by his defence team, which also suggest he has undiagnosed autism.
He is facing one count of producing child abuse material, six counts of possessing child abuse material and two counts of engaging in child prostitution.
No pleas have been entered.
The case will return to Campbelltown Local Court on July 9.
In an emergency, call 000.
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