A now-former Texas middle school teacher who had a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old boy was sentenced to 10 years in jail on Friday as part of a plea agreement. Alexandria Vera, who was 24 at the time, admitted to the affair, which was discovered last spring.
Vera initially denied the relationship when questioned by her principal at Stovall Middle School, but confessed to police after she became pregnant and then had an abortion. She said at the time of her arrest that the relationship began in September 2015. The boy’s family reportedly knew about the relationship and did not object to it. The student, who wrote a letter to the judge during the trial professed his love for Vera, and is currently in foster care, according to KTRK.
Friday’s sentencing was the result of a plea bargain that Vera agreed to in November. She originally faced life in prison, but by pleading guilty she assured herself a maximum sentence of 30 years. Judge Michael McSpadden decided on a 10-year term after listening to both sides at a hearing. She will be eligible for parole after five years.
[Image via KTRK screengrab]