The Number One Shoes offending also involved online posts to a shoe fetish forum. Collins said he would not suppress the facts of the case, although he noted he could not control what “keyboard warriors” on social media would write. Wylie had hit a low point late last year and early this year, and had sought professional help. “To your exceptional credit, you had succeeded at high school and you had become a graduate. You got a degree,” the judge told Wylie.
Stuff has reported that in 2020 Wylie was a student teacher at Manawatū schools. Wylie’s mother, who lives in Canada, told a report writer Wylie had lost his job and his anonymity.
Deviant behaviour: Shoe shop worker discharged without conviction
The judge said Wylie had already faced significant punishment. (Photo / 123rf / Facebook)
Deviant behaviour: Shoe shop worker discharged without conviction Wed, 7 Jul 2021, 2:37PM
A former Palmerston North shoe store worker who shared inappropriate shoe-related images online has been discharged without conviction.
Malachai Scott Roger Wylie, 23, was arrested in April and charged with two counts of offensive behaviour and theft.
Earlier this year it was revealed that the employee allegedly sniffed and spat and performed sex acts in workers shoes and posted the evidence on an online foot fetish forum.
Judge Russell Collins told the hearing concern for the man s mental health dominated his thinking when issuing his decision.
Number One Shoes says it is deeply concerned about Wylie’s alleged offending. As a student teacher in 2020, Wylie had a placement at Freyberg High School in term 2. Principal Peter Brooks said the Education Ministry’s trauma team and police were at the school on Tuesday. It was possible students at the school had been contacted by Wylie, or one of his aliases, on social media asking for pictures of shoes. Brooks said the students felt violated that Wylie had been in their class, potentially looking at their shoes and taking pictures. The school was also wondering how Wylie made it on to the teachers’ college course at Massey University.
Number One Shoes says it is deeply concerned about Wylie’s alleged offending. As a student teacher in 2020, Wylie had a placement at Freyberg High School in term 2. Principal Peter Brooks said the Education Ministry’s trauma team and police were at the school on Tuesday. It was possible students at the school had been contacted by Wylie, or one of his aliases, on social media asking for pictures of shoes. Brooks said the students felt violated that Wylie had been in their class, potentially looking at their shoes and taking pictures. The school was also wondering how Wylie made it on to the teachers’ college course at Massey University.