A former teacher at a prestigious Adelaide school caught sending a 16-year-old student sexually explicit messages could be deported from the country.
In the South Australian District Court on Monday, Bettina Schmoock was jailed for 22 months with a non-parole period of 11 months.
However, Judge Gordon Barrett then suspended the jail sentence and put the 42-year-old on a three year good behaviour bond.
Schmoock pleaded guilty to a charge of making a communication with the intention of procuring a child to engage in sexual activity, Nine News reported.
Bettina Schmoock, 42, a former teacher has been caught sending a student sexually explicit messages and encouraging him to meet her for sex
Schmoock initiated the illegal relationship with the boy who is 22 years her junior, from November 2014 to February 2015
Schmoock initiated the illegal relationship with the boy, who is 22 years her junior, from November 2014 to February 2015.
The court she started the relationship when she was counselling the boy who was having ‘dark thoughts’.
She then met up with the boy outside of school hours and was warned to stop what she was doing by the school and was put on monitoring.
However, Schmoock did not back off from the boy, and instead began texting him.
In texts released by the court on Monday, Schmoock was revealed trying to convince the virgin student to have sex with her.
‘ U should NOT do it (lose your virginity) with a young inexperienced girl,’ she wrote.
‘I am urs (sic) in every which way.’
Schmoock also tried to emotionally blackmail the boy; telling him he could destroy her career, reputation and marriage if their relationship was discovered, the court heard.
‘U my dear can f*** my career, and my children’s future,’ she wrote.
‘For the love of God, please delete our threads.’
Schmoock also tried to emotionally blackmail the boy telling him he could destroy her career, reputation and marriage if their relationship was discovered
It is then that Schmoock got caught up in the secret relationship and attempted to get the boy to meet up with her for sex.
When the boy declined her offer, she kept messaging him.
‘I’m not going to beg. If you are man enough to take me on, do it now.’
The boy eventually blocked her and told his parents who reported it to the police.
Judge Gordon Barrett took into account Schmoock’s mental health and bipolar disorder at the time of sentencing and said it was unlikely she will be able to teach again.
‘You were reckless about the effect upon him of your seeking a sexual relationship… he was expressing reluctance and you persisted, notwithstanding that reluctance.’
Schmoock could face deportation due to her sentence being suspended jail term greater than 12 months.