A former middle school drama teacher in Florida pleaded guilty Wednesday to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old student two years ago, NBC Miami reported.
In exchange for her guilty plea, Brittiny Lopez-Murray, 33, was sentenced to two years of community control plus 10 years of probation while also being required to register as a sex offender and attend a program for mental disorder sex offenders, according to NBC Miami.
Lopez-Murray pleaded guilty to charges including lewd and lascivious battery, lewd and lascivious molestation of a child and electronic transmission harmful to minors, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Middle School Teacher Who Resigned Amid Alleged Sexual Offenses Later Hired At Different School)
“Rookie Teacher of the Year” Brittiny Lopez-Murray, now 33, plead guilty to lewd and lascivious battery, lewd and lascivious molestation of a child and electronic transmission harmful to minors charges against a 14 y/o male student. 🤬https://t.co/kS72kcd4xU
— Brooke (@buckeyebettie) December 15, 2023
Lopez-Murray, who was named “Rookie Teacher of the Year” in 2017 at Hialeah Middle School, was still teaching there when she was arrested in October 2021, according to NBC Miami.
According to a police report, the teen victim had been Lopez-Murray’s student in middle school, but at the time the relationship reportedly began in August 2021, he was in high school, NBC Miami reported.
The report noted that the victim’s sister was concerned about his behavior and was able to get a look at his phone and found “explicit text messages and photos” between the teacher and teen, according to the outlet.
The boy’s father also reportedly saw the phone, revealing explicit photos of Lopez-Murray and text messages detailing “how much they enjoyed the sex with each other,” NBC Miami reported.
The boy reportedly told police that Lopez-Murray sometimes picked him up from basketball practice and that they would engage in sex acts in her car in a mall or grocery store parking lot, according to the outlet.
Lopez-Murray’s plea deal was accepted by the victim’s family, NBC Miami reported.