AN ex-private school teacher who was running science sessions for youngsters has been hit with a litany of child sex crimes.
Jethro Kleinig, 32, had already pleaded guilty to one charge after child abuse material was found on his phone.
Jethro Kleinig, 32, facing a total of 97 charges Credit: Instagram
Prosecutors allege Kleinig’s offending dates back to December 2017 Credit: Instagram
The former teacher, dubbed “Mad Scientist Jethro Kleinig” is now facing a total of 97 charges.
Kleinig was working at various schools and ran hands-on science sessions for youngsters as part of a school holiday programme.
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Parents were asked to give permission for their children to take part in the sessions, which involved experiments with “child safe chemicals”.
There is no suggestion that children who attended the science programme were victims of any alleged offence.
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Kleinig appeared in an Adelaide court on Wednesday as prosecutors revealed 96 new charges, taking the total against him to 97.
He had initially been facing just one charge of possessing child exploitation material found on his phone and had already pleaded guilty to that offence.
But prosecutors have now accused him of a total of 97 offences, including producing and possessing child exploitation material, attempting to obtain it, disseminating it and indecent filming.
The 96 fresh allegations include four counts of indecent filming, 26 of producing child exploitation material, 37 of attempting to obtain it, 25 of disseminating it, two of attempting to produce it and three further possession charges.
Prosecutors allege the offending dates back to December 2017 and took place across more than five Adelaide suburbs.
And during the period covered by the allegations, Kleinig worked at three schools.
He worked at Flaxmill Primary School from February 2022 until September 2024.
He also spent 49 days at Aberfoyle Hub Primary School between March and June 2024.
And he later worked as a reception teacher at private Tatachilla Lutheran College in Adelaide’s southern suburbs, where he was employed for around a semester before his arrest.
Parents at one of the schools told Australian media they were horrified by the sheer number of allegations.
They said the indecent filming allegation was particularly disturbing.
The schools subsequently wrote to parents about Kleinig’s employment and said there was no evidence at the time that any of their pupils had been involved.
Kleinig was arrested in August 2025 after police seized mobile phones and other electronic devices from his home.
He appeared in court via video link from prison as the new allegations were read out.
He has not entered pleas to any of the fresh charges and remains in custody.
He is due back in court next month.
