Sex offender teacher used fake names

By Edward Gay

Terito Henry Miki used fake names and qualifications to get work as a teacher – because he was a convicted child sex offender who was not allowed to be alone with children.

Miki appeared at the Auckland District Court today where he pleaded guilty to seven charges of using a document to obtain a pecuniary advantage and four charges of breaching a supervision order.

The 40-year-old – whose name was previously suppressed – was made the subject of an extended supervision order in 2010 after being convicted for common assault and indecent assault on a boy aged 12-16.

But in February he told his probation officer he was teaching at an Auckland primary.

teacher verification.

It was his sixth job at a North Island school since 2007, despite 42 convictions in a criminal history dating to 1989.

Miki’s case is the subject of a ministerial inquiry which will look into how he was able to elude authorities.

Another case, revealed by APNZ last month, has been added to the inquiry. That involved a convicted child sex offender being hired as a teacher, despite the school knowing of the conviction.

Miki’s elaborate efforts to avoid detection are revealed in court documents today.

According to the police summary of facts he used false documents and legally changed his name to escape his past.

He also told a school he had two degrees from the University of Rochville in the United States.

Miki’s past caught up with him at another school when the principal ran checks.

According to the summary, when confronted by the principal, he said had a twin brother who was responsible for the convictions.

Miki was fired after the police became involved on another matter.

He also used the name of a man he knows with teaching qualifications who was living in Australia.

Miki successfully applied to the Department of Internal Affairs to change the man’s name to one of his aliases before approaching the Teachers Council for registration.

With a new birth certificate, he was able to get the real teacher’s record transferred into the name of his alias.

Miki then took a job at an Auckland primary school and, according to police, took a lot of sick days, claiming he had a brain tumour.

He was only caught because he came clean to his probation officer.

According to the Ministry of Education, Miki has been paid $159,634.54 for work at six schools.

He will be sentenced in May.

He is also facing a fraud charge but is yet to enter a plea.

It emerged last month that Miki was looking to adopt a child.

The New Zealand Herald reported that Miki described himself as a “happily married” teacher. He claimed he and his wife already care for several children in their extended family including nieces and nephews.

Source : nzherald