A primary school teacher who allegedly filmed students in the bathroom has been pictured as a furious group of parents consult lawyers about a potential civil case.
Timothy Blamires, 33, was refused bail by Moorabbin Magistrates' Court, in southeast Melbourne, on Friday afternoon.
Blamires is accused of taking a camera from the principal's office at Kingswood Primary School, in Dingley Village, after it was found in a male student toilet.
The device and a connected hard drive were discovered by a cleaner as she replaced an odour dispenser's fragrance.
The cleaner placed it into a plastic bag and put the bag on the principal's desk, with triple zero called.
Blamires is accused of collecting the camera and putting it inside a drawer in the sick bay before walking into his classroom to teach.
The odour dispenser was allegedly found inside his backpack at the school, after his arrest, and police seized devices from Blamires' home including laptops, phones and tablets.
He has been charged with producing and possessing child abuse material, installing an optical surveillance device, and refusing to comply with a police direction.
Timothy Blamires (above) is accused of filming primary school students in a male toilet in southeast Melbourne
Friends and family of Blamires attended Moorabbin Magistrates Court on Friday
Several parents from the school have approached Arnold Thomas and Becker Lawyers since the arrest, The Herald Sun reported.
The law firm said it is investigating a civil case on behalf of parents, including questions about how long the camera was there and how many students were allegedly filmed.
Managing principal Kim Price said the alleged victims and their parents were 'reeling with shock'.
'This is a harrowing time for parents who will be anxious to learn more,' he said.
'At this stage there are a number of investigations required before we can determine whether an action can proceed and against which defendants.
'These investigations will be ongoing.'
Blamires appeared in court via video link on Friday after applying for bail on Wednesday.
His defence lawyer had argued Blamires was entitled to bail as he had no prior convictions and any risks he posed could be addressed with strict conditions, the court was told.
Blamires was arrested at Kingswood Primary School in Melbourne on Tuesday
Blamires was charged after allegedly attempting to hide a camera found in a male student bathroom
His brother offered a $50,000 surety to secure Blamires' release and said he would live with him and ensure he did not violate any of his bail conditions.
Those conditions could include a ban on Blamires going within 200 metres of any school and having a device with access to the internet.
But prosecutors argued that Blamires' risk to public safety, children in particular, and the possibility he might destroy evidence, were too great to permit his release into the community.
Magistrate Timothy Gattuso detailed the allegations Blamires had tried to hide the camera after it was found by a cleaner.
'You appear to have removed the device that had been located in the toilets by the cleaner, from the principal's office, and apparently hid it,' he told the court.
There were also concerns Blamires may 'access the cloud and destroy evidence' as he had allegedly given police false passwords to his devices, the magistrate said.
'Some of the passwords you gave to police on their direction to access devices that were seized were not successful in enabling access,' Mr Gattuso said.
He said Blamires was 'highly likely' to be given a term of imprisonment if the charges against him were proven, pending any matters in mitigation.
Blamires' bail was refused during the hearing, attended by his family and friends
Blamires' bail was refused as Mr Gattuso found his risks could not be reduced to an acceptable level, pointing to the difficulty of enforcing a ban on internet access.
'Conditions not to access the cloud or not to use the internet are almost impossible to enforce, given the ease in which access can be obtained,' he said.
Blamires' lawyer said his client had been struggling with his mental health and was 'extremely vulnerable' in custody, as he asked for him to be placed in an isolated cell.
He was taken back into custody and will return to court on May 15.
Victoria's Department of Education said it was working closely with Kingswood Primary School and police to respond to the matter 'which is deeply distressing for the school community'.
'Immediate support is being made available for students and staff impacted by this incident,' a spokesperson said.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)