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After a high school teacher in Georgia was found guilty of sexual assault, the student she assaulted had the opportunity to confront her during her sentencing hearing.
On Thursday, June 11, Bonnie Brown was convicted of improper sexual contact with a male student from abuse that took place in 2023, according to 11 Alive.
Immediately after she was convicted, Greene County Judge Stephen A. Bradley sentenced Brown, 27, to 40 years in prison. The first 15 years of her sentence will be served in confinement, according to the outlet. She will also be required to register herself as a sex offender once she is released from prison.
Before she was given her sentence, the victim got emotional as he addressed Brown. “All you had to do was admit it,” the student, now 19, said, per the outlet.
He continued to get emotional as he admitted to feeling betrayed by the teacher because he trusted her. The teen then said that the sexual assaults caused him to experience emotional turmoil.
He said that the experience made it hard for him to trust others, and he also said he was bullied and faced criticism once the sexual assault became public knowledge.
The victim also asked the judge to sentence Brown to the maximum penalty allowed. After he made the statement, the boy was escorted out of the courtroom by a victim advocate, according to 11 Alive.
Brown was arrested in March 2025 and was charged with improper sexual contact by an employee, agent or foster parent.
The arrest came months after Greene County Sheriff’s Office asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in June 2024 to investigate allegations of sexual contact between a student and Brown, who previously worked at Nathanael Greene Academy teacher, according to a statement from the GBI.
The investigation confirmed Brown engaged in sexual contact with a student when she worked at the school. She no longer worked at Nathanael Greene Academy and was teaching in Wilkes County at the time of her arrest.
The teen testified during the trial and said he added Brown on Snapchat, which was when they began messaging each other in and out of school. Their conversations eventually turned sexual after they attended a literary competition.
The victim also testified that Brown sexually assaulted him at his aunt’s house during 2023 spring break and for a second time after her home, per 11 Alive.
Brown pleaded not guilty to the charges and she maintained her innocence throughout the trial.
Following the verdict, Assistant District Attorney Blayne May said that the victim’s statements to Brown demonstrate how influential teachers are to students.
“It’s a very cathartic moment, but it brings up a lot of the trauma and I think the judge and everyone in the courtroom saw the effect that these things have,” May said, per the outlet. “I think there’s a stereotype that oh it’s a student and female teacher, it’s got to be fun, I think everyone saw the traumatic impact it can have on kids.”
Brown is the second teacher from Nathanael Greene Academy to be accused of sexual assault by the same student. Us Weekly previously reported that Sherri Mauldin pleaded guilty to having sex with the same boy several times.
She was sentenced to 12 years in prison and 25 years of probation in May.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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