The former Texas middle school teacher who admittedly became pregnant by her 13-year-old student was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
On Friday, Alexandria Vera, 25, returned to court for sentencing. State District Judge Michael McSpadden heard brief arguments from both sides before rendering his decision, the Houston Chronicle reported. She will be eligible for parole after serving five years.
In November, Vera pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child. She originally faced 25 years to life in prison under a count of continuous sexual abuse of a child. Her guilty plea capped any potential jail time she may serve at 30 years. The deal she struck could have allowed Vera to serve a deferred adjudication sentence, a type of probation that would leave her without a criminal record if she completed it successfully.
Vera remained free on $100,000 bail since surrendering herself to authorities in June, although she had to wear a GPS monitoring bracelet and abide by other restrictions, including steering clear of schools and having no contact with the teen who purportedly impregnated her. Over the summer, though, she landed back in McSpadden’s court for violating a condition of her bond agreement. She returned home from shopping later than her curfew.
Court documents revealed Vera met the boy during a 2015 summer school session at Stovall Middle School where she taught. Prior to any sexual misconduct, the inappropriate relationship started over social media. The boy tried to reach her on Instagram. Vera later messaged him after he missed class. This led to the student asking for her phone number.
Vera claimed the boy’s parents supported the relationship and were even happy when she reportedly announced her pregnancy to them. She believed she did nothing wrong because she just fell in love, according to court documents. She allegedly had an abortion once school authorities began questioning her about the improper relationship. Speculation swirled that the boy’s parents might face the criminal charge of failure to report child abuse. They were not charged but officials ordered them to undergo therapy and attend parenting classes. The boy, now 14-years-old, remains in foster care through, at least, August.
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