Utah teacher Brianne Altice burst into tears once again during her
sentencing Thursday, when she was given two to 30 years in prison for
having sex with three of her students between the ages of 16 and 17.
"I can tell you, unequivocally, that these boys are victims," a mother of one of the three told the court Thursday, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. "They will be affected by this unlawful relationship throughout their lives."
Altice, 36, has sobbed throughout her court appearances, including when she pleaded guilty
to three counts of forcible sex abuse in April – in exchange for having
11 other sex charges dropped, including three first-degree felony rape
charges that carried potential life sentences.
The former English teacher, who has children of her own,
defended herself, telling the judge who handed down the sentence that
people have been judging her unfairly for her actions, which included having sex with one of the boys after she'd already been arrested on rape charges.
"If I could, I would personally apologize to each individual
that has been affected by this," she said Thursday. "Grief fills my
heart for all involved."
Altice's lawyer described her as a woman who was trapped in a
bad marriage, saying she is "troubled" and "has problems with viewing
her own worth."
"She blurred the lines between being a teacher and a friend," defense attorney Edward Brass said.
He added that Altice was pursued by the boys, who she claims flirted with her daily.
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