A SYDNEY high school teacher tearfully told a court how ashamed and embarrassed she is for having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student.
Monica Elizabeth Young was 23 when she first started teaching in March 2020, shortly before the school was plunged into lockdown and online learning began.
The teacher blocked her year nine victim from the online classroom "for inappropriate comments on the feed," she told Sydney's District Court on Thursday.
But after he contacted her via Instagram, she found his Snapchat account and messaged him daring physical contact, the court was told.
"You don't have the balls," read one of her messages.
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The boundaries between students and teachers softened when online classes began, seeing them in their homes, and when school resumed the pupils were more relaxed and comfortable, Young said.
She read out her letter to the court addressing the mother and family of her teenage victim.
"I am unable to fully express how sorry I am for my actions that have negatively impacted (the boy) and his family" she said.
"(The boy) trusted me and I abused that trust which may have severe impacts on his future. I deeply regret allowing the relationship to progress as far as it did.
"I studied for four years ... to guide young people ... but the lines got blurred."
"I knew it was wrong."
Crown prosecutor Alexander Terracini submitted this was not spontaneous sexual abuse, citing one message with words to the effect "it's dangerous if we get caught but if you do it it will be worth it".
"On each and every incident ... you initiated the physical contact," Mr Terracini asked.
"Correct," Young said.
Sexual acts occurred while she was teaching geography "once or twice," she said, and up to three times outside of the classroom.
The court previously heard she met the boy at his workplace and other locations.
Before her trial was due to begin she pleaded guilty to three charges of having sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old in aggravating circumstances as he was under her authority, between June and July 2020.
The Crown argued a jail sentence was the only appropriate sentence.
"Whilst it may well be accepted that Ms Young didn't go into teaching to have access to children the fact is that within months of accepting her very first job as a teacher she was abusing one of them," Mr Terracini said.
Young's barrister Margaret Cunneen SC said the fresh teacher was out of her depth given courses to teach that she had no training in, and no support from senior staff.
"With all of the stressors going on, a completely different type of teaching that had to be arranged ... students contacting her all hours of the night, this allowed for a blurring, a criminal blurring undoubtedly, but a blurring in her mind of her role as a teacher," she said.
Ms Cunneen submitted there was a difference between male offenders who deliberately seek out employment "where they can have access to people who form the basis of their sexual fetishes or unlawful fantasies," and female teachers such as Young.
"It may well be unusual for female teachers to come before the court having abused one of their male students but frankly ... how on earth is gender relevant," Mr Terracini said against the defence submission.
Young is due to be sentenced by Judge Kate Traill on July 8. AAP
