New Zealand Social Worker Loses Registration After Sending Nude Photos to 16-Year-Old Student

A New Zealand social worker with 20 years experience has had her registration cancelled after sending naked photographs and engaging in explicit messaging with a 16-year-old male student she met at school.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 7, 2026, 3:56 AM EDT

Source: Stuff

The Inappropriate Online Relationship

The incident began when the part-time social worker, employed at the school in 2023, accepted a Facebook friend request from a Year 12 student aged 16. Despite initially informing the boy that discussing his sexual thoughts was inappropriate, she continued communicating with him late into the evening after 8pm.

Over time the exchanges turned flirtatious, with both parties fantasising about sexual acts. The tribunal heard evidence that the social worker sent two or three naked photographs of herself, with her private areas strategically covered by a sheet.

Professional Misconduct and Immediate Aftermath

The student eventually disclosed the interactions to the school principal in September 2023, prompting the social worker to resign from her position shortly afterwards. In her defence before the tribunal she described herself as being in a vulnerable state at the time and said she “gave in” because resisting felt more difficult than complying.

The tribunal emphasised that under no circumstances is it acceptable for a social worker to share sexualised content with a young person they encounter through their professional role. The conduct was deemed a significant violation of the profession’s Code of Conduct and one that brought the entire social work profession into disrepute.