Adelaide child-care worker on trial for alleged sexual abuse of teen with disability

Hannah Joyce Neale, 31, is on trial in South Australia's District Court after pleading not guilty to a charge of child sexual abuse. Prosecutor Rebecca Andersen testified that Neale, employed at a supported accommodation facility in suburban Adelaide, began a sexual and romantic liaison with a 16-year-old boy who has a mild intellectual disability, a relationship that continued past his 17th birthday. Evidence suggests the abuse occurred in multiple settings, including Neale's car, various residences, motels and even while she was on duty for Qantas, with the teenager receiving substantial cash, a PlayStation, a gaming computer and pets.

Colleagues reportedly noted that Neale frequently disappeared from the facility during her shifts, and later introduced the boy to coworkers as a family member. After complaints, Neale was reassigned and eventually dismissed, but the alleged conduct persisted until the teen's arrest for alleged violence against her. The trial proceeds without a jury before Judge Ian Press.