A teacher took explicit photos of students and viewed inappropriate material on a school computer, the Adelaide District Court has heard.
A seven-year-old student's genitals were photographed during a swimming excursion and the man took inappropriate photos of an eight-year-old student as they slept on a bus, it was told.
Police searched the teacher's home after the school's IT department found he had viewed child exploitation material on a work computer.
Detectives found 1,758 images on his phone, computer and other devices which constituted child exploitation material.
The mother of one of the children involved told the court the teacher had blatantly betrayed her trust.
"You were a mentor to vulnerable children, a teacher to children that put their trust and faith in you," she said in a victim impact statement.
"You betrayed and manipulated it for your own warped sense of gratification.
"You took your position of power and abused it in the most disgusting way. You preyed on the innocence and trust of my child."
The mother said she felt "disgust, anger and frustration".
"No words could ever convey the injustice I feel for my family," she said.
"What you did is unforgiveable."
Man will not teach again
Defence lawyer Craig Caldicott said his client "unreservedly apologises" and realises he will not be able to teach again.
"He realises he has betrayed the trust of everyone around him," he said.
"No matter what Your Honour does, he will continue to beat himself up."
Prosecutor Jacqueline Fong also told the hearing of the man's "foot fetish", saying police found 907 photos of children's feet on his devices.
"The background of those images suggests that the majority of those images appear to have been taken in a classroom setting of the primary school," she said.
"While those 907 images are not part of the criminal charge, in my submission they are concerning and inappropriate behaviour."
The man is expected to be sentenced in March.
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