A former “Teacher of the Year” has pleaded guilty to having an “ongoing relationship” with one of her female students starting when the girl was just 15.
Brandyn Martin Hargrove was convicted on Wednesday of 12 criminal counts connected to her sexual assault of the ex-student while she was a teacher at Brazoswood High School in Clute, Texas.
The formerly-decorated educator was sentenced to 10 years of probation and a 10-year probated sentence, meaning she won’t face any time in prison, despite grooming her student and having a sexual relationship with the minor, which continued until the girl turned 17, according to court records.
Her victim, who is now in her 30s, walked into the police station to report she had been sexually assaulted by her teacher nearly two decades earlier, Clute Chief of Police James Fitch told ABC 13.
“In 2006, you did not have the charge of improper relationship with a student that we have today, so that’s why you got the charges of sex assault and indecency of a child,” Chief Fitch said.
“The DA’s office did include the victim. They talked to the victim before this plea agreement was accepted, and from what I understand, the victim spoke in court [Wednesday] morning,” he said.
Hargrove was convicted of sexual assault and indecency of a child for her role — 10 second-degree felonies with punishments of two to 20 years in prison and two third-degree felonies with punishments of two to 10 years.
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