National Youth Theatre Clarifies Charges Against Former Staff Member Are Unrelated to Employment

The National Youth Theatre (NYT) has issued a statement clarifying that the rape and grooming charges against Cole Johnston, a former staff member, do not relate to the time he was employed at the theatre. This comes as the case continues to unfold in New Zealand courts.

Cole Thomas Johnston, a 28-year-old Auckland entertainer, is currently facing a range of serious charges, including three counts of committing an indecent act on a girl aged between 12 and 15, and eight sexual violation charges. These allegations, as reported by various media outlets, span a period from January 2017 to January 2021 and are reportedly tied to a single alleged victim.

Johnston has denied the allegations, and his lawyer, Sumudu Thode, confirmed that no appeal was filed before the deadline on Tuesday. The court has since lifted the name suppression, allowing the public to refer to Johnston by his full name.

According to his personal website, Johnston was once a prominent performer with the National Youth Theatre Company, taking on lead roles in multiple productions. He was also listed as a programme director for the NYT's production of