5 schools, 10 more charges: Perth music teacher case expands

Content warning: allegations of child sexual abuse.

A Perth music teacher who previously worked across five private schools remains behind bars as police expand the case against him with 10 additional charges.

David Hicks, 34, of Hillarys, is accused of secretly recording a student changing during a private lesson, filming children at a public swimming pool and producing child exploitation material.

The latest charges include alleged indecent dealings with a child, further production of child exploitation material and recording private conversations with a listening device.

Hicks is being held on remand at Hakea Prison and is due to return to court on 9 November, The West Australian reports.

From a private lesson to a police investigation

The court previously heard that Hicks allegedly recorded a student changing out of a school uniform during a private music lesson in May 2025.

At his September court appearance, a prosecutor described allegations involving a covert camera positioned on a bookshelf and, on another occasion, a tablet used to record a child changing.

Police also allege Hicks filmed children swimming at Craigie Leisure Centre, then altered the footage to create child exploitation material.

The allegations extended beyond recordings. The court heard that officers allegedly found a fictional letter on a laptop at his Hillarys home describing two male students engaging in sexual activity, as well as more than 100 sexually explicit photographs of underage boys, according to The West’s report.

Devices seized in Hillarys raid

Child Abuse Squad detectives searched Hicks’s home in September and seized electronic devices.

WA Police said preliminary analysis allegedly uncovered child exploitation material on several devices, with further forensic examination to follow.

Hicks was initially charged with:

• •3x counts of producing child exploitation material.
• •2x counts of indecently recording a child aged over 13 and under 16.

He appeared in Joondalup Magistrates Court on 10 September 2026.

The West reports that he was later charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice, involving a series of Instagram messages.

Ten additional charges

On Tuesday, 13 October 2026, police revealed a further ten offences, according to the newspaper:

• •1x count of indecent dealings with a child aged over 13 and under 16.
• •3x counts of producing child exploitation material.
• •6x counts of using a listening device to record a private conversation.

The new charges broaden a prosecution that initially centred on alleged recordings and the production of child exploitation material.

Teaching across five schools

Hicks’s work extended across 5 private schools and private music tuition.

That reach makes the response to the allegations particularly significant for families whose children attended lessons through different schools or outside school hours.

The West reports that one school had publicly promoted his work as a piano teacher and described a transition from high school to primary school teaching. The school cannot be identified for legal reasons.

The Teacher Registration Board of WA has confirmed he is not a registered teacher, however the report does not specify how or when that status arose.

For the institutions that engaged Hicks, key questions remain about when they learned of the investigation, how they responded and whether current and former families were notified.

Next appearance in November

Hicks remains on remand ahead of his reported 9 November 2026 court appearance.

Reports of sexual abuse can be made to police on 131 444 or through the secure Safe2Say reporting service. Support is available from the Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380.