Staffer at top Sydney private girls school charged over alleged tech theft
A senior staff member at an eastern suburbs private girls’ school allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars worth of computers and tampered with CCTV as police began investigating the missing technology.
Anthony James Barron, 35, who runs the IT department at Ascham School, was arrested at his Edgecliff home on Friday as part of an investigation into the alleged theft of equipment worth $74,000.
The senior staffer at Ascham School allegedly stole IT equipment worth $74,000.Credit: Nick Moir
Police will allege Barron stole six iPads, 34 HP Elite laptops and four MacBooks between mid-2023 and 2025 and sold them on an online marketplace.
Barron was taken to Waverley police station and charged with stealing property as a clerk, disposing of stolen property and unauthorised modification of data.
They further allege Barron tampered with CCTV footage as police began to investigate last Friday.
Police released Barron on conditional bail, which prevents him from returning to the five-hectare campus in Edgecliff which overlooks the harbour. Ascham charges more than $48,000 for year 12.
In a recent letter to parents, the school said it had “the highest calibre of staff” and was investing in “major IT systems upgrades in 2025″.
Barron began working at Ascham in 2019 and had a key role during the pandemic, according to his online resumé.
“I sleep better at night and my time in the office is more productive because I’m not troubleshooting an issue and jumping down a rabbit hole. I can see where things are right away and dedicate my time elsewhere as needed,” he said in one interview with a tech company.
