Former Knox Grammar teacher learns his fate after grooming teenager as sickening details emerge about Google searches

Published: 08:53, 8 May 2026 | Updated: 08:53, 8 May 2026 A former private school teacher who sent messages detailing sexual contact to a minor will serve his time in the community rather than a jail cell. William Roberto Gulson had been teaching at Sydney's elite Knox Grammar School and tutoring privately, before embarking on a 90-minute online exchange with someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy in 2024. In reality, it was a 14-year-old who along with another teen was running a fake profile on LGBTQI dating app Grindr in an attempt to catch paedophiles. Gulson stood frozen as he was sentenced to a three-year community bond and ordered to complete 400 hours of community service in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Friday. The 28-year-old will also appear on the NSW child protection register for eight years, is obliged to report any new tattoos and is barred from online gaming platforms that allow communication with children. Gulson had testified the conversation amounted to a lapse in judgment as he was multitasking, marking papers. Judge Hugh Donnelly slammed the former English and drama master's account of the text exchange as 'improbable, implausible and inconsistent with the logical course of events' as he handed down his judgement. He said Gulson telling the teenager he was 'super conflicted' revealed the former educator knew what he was doing was wrong. William Roberto Gulson leaves Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Friday Gulson had been teaching at Sydney's Knox Grammar School before going on a 90-minute online exchange with someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy Gulson (centre) and his supporters outside court on Friday The teacher has acknowledged his correspondent was 'young, super young', the court was told. 'Once the conversation began, the defendant was very deliberate in terms of expression and keenness,' Judge Donnelly said. Gulson had a sexual interest in children, he determined when he found the former teacher guilty of procuring a child for unlawful sexual activity in January. He had browsed for child abuse material and rape scenes, lodging 166 searches of pornography sites showing teenage boys during a three-month period in 2024, Judge Donnelly said. He described Gulson's texts to the 15-year-old as 'extremely explicit', mentioning kissing and licking, spotlighting a message which read 'do you find it (sic) hot you're the same age as my students?' Gulson also said he would be happy to meet up, encouraging the teen to sneak out of their parents' house so they could find a 'quiet place' for sexual activity, the court was previously told. But the teenager deleted the Grindr account before any rendezvous occurred and was not harmed. Judge Donnelly said Gulson's conduct had a 'real potential for harm', but took the loss of his teaching career into account when imposing the sentence. Gulson had a sexual interest in children and browsed for child abuse material and rape scenes, Judge Donnelly said He took a 'guarded view' of Gulson's prospect of rehabilitation, pointing out he had 'cast himself as the victim' because the child he was messaging was 'a civilian with malicious intent'. The former teacher has lodged an appeal against his conviction and sentence. National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25) No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.