Oliver Phommavanh
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Oliver Phommavanh (born 18 April 1983) is an Australian children's book author and former primary school teacher. Phommavanh was charged for the online grooming of a 13-year-old girl on 18 May 2024[1] and on 13 February 2026 was sentenced to six-and-a-half years at Parramatta District Court.[2]
Oliver Phommavanh | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 April 1983 Sydney, Australia |
| Occupation | Author |
| Education | University of Sydney Western Sydney University |
| Period | 2010-2022 |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Notable works | Thai-riffic! |
Early life and education
Phommavanh was born to a Thai mother and a Laotian father who migrated to Australia in 1977.[3] Phommavanh grew up in western Sydney and attended Western Sydney University, where he earned his writing degree as well as the University of Sydney where he earned his teaching degree. In 2007, he stopped teaching in order to pursue his writing and stand-up comedy careers.[4]
Personal life
Before his arrest Phommavanh had been an ambassador for the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge as well as a supporter of the Australian branch of Room to Read.[3]
Legal issues
On 18 May 2024, Phommavanh was arrested for sending inappropriate photos and videos to a minor, after he sent a nude photo to an under cover police officer he believed to be a young girl on 16 May. In court it was revealed that from 2018 to 2022 Phommavanh had been talking to three girls aged 11–13 as well as the undercover police officer. Two of the three girls had sent him messages online after he had spoken at their schools.[5] He spoke to one of the girls for five years, until she was 16 and reported him to the police. On 13 February 2026, Phommavanh was sentenced for the online grooming of the three girls and is serving a six-and-a-half year sentence with a four-year period of no parole.[1]
Works
- 2010: Thai-riffic!
- 2011: Con-Nerd
- 2012: Things a Map Won't Show You: Stories from Australia and Beyond
- 2012: Punchlines
- 2012: Thai-no-mite!
- 2018: Natural Born Loser
- 2019: Don't Follow Vee
- 2019: Super Con-Nerd
- 2021: Brain Freeze
- 2022: What about Thao?