An Arizona teacher convicted of sexually abusing a 13-year-old student will spend the next 20 years behind bars.

On Wednesday, Brittany Zamora reported to the woman’s state prison in Goodyear, Arizona. The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to three felony charges: sexual conduct with a minor, molestation of a child and public sexual indecency.

Zamora, a former teacher at Las Brisas Academy, tearfully apologized to the victim and his family during the sentencing hearing.

The case began in 2018, when the stepmother of a 13-year-old boy noticed that he was acting suspiciously and wanting to shut his door at night. She installed a parental monitoring app called “Sentry” on his phone and subsequently began getting alerts about inappropriate texts, so she confronted the boy. He told his stepmother that he had sexual contact with his sixth-grade teacher.

The stepmother called police and Zamora was arrested soon after.
In court documents first obtained by the Arizona Republic, authorities alleged that Zamora calculatingly groomed the boy for sex through special attention, X-rated texts and naked photos of herself.

According to a police report, Zamora and the boy began texting and sending each other photos on Snapchat.

The Maricopa County Police released screenshots of texts allegedly sent between Zamora and the teen.

During one exchange, Zamora allegedly wrote, “I want you too baby so bad…I want you every day with no time limit.”
As the illegal relationship proceeded, Zamora allegedly had sex with the boy several times.

Police say Zamora played an educational video during one of her classes. While other students watched the video, Zamora and the victim sexually fondled each other in the back of the classroom.
On another day, the victim and a friend stayed after school. The two boys later told that police Zamora asked the victim’s friend to be a lookout while they had sex.

As things began to close in on Zamora, she and her husband allegedly reached out to the boy’s family to try to prevent her from getting into trouble.
According to a police report, the student’s father claimed he received a phone call from Zamora and her husband “pleading with him not to contact the police.” He refused and hung up the phone.
PEOPLE has been unable to reach Zamora’s husband.

The parents of the 13-year-old boy have filed a lawsuit against the school district, as well as against Zamora’s husband.
Zamora will be on probation for the rest of her life. She must register as a sex offender after her 2038 release date. She will receive credit for the 478 days she has already spent in jail.

Source: Daily mail