Editor's Note: The below information is from June 2019 and has not been updated.
A sixth-grade teacher accused of sexually abusing her 13-year-old student could face 44 years in prison.
28-year-old Brittany Zamora agreed to a plea deal in court Monday afternoon. The former teacher from Las Brisas Academy in Goodyear pleaded guilty to three felony counts that include sexual conduct with a minor, attempted molestation and public indecency.
Judge Sherry Stephens asked Zamora if she had read and gone over the plea agreement with her lawyer. The ex-teacher replied, "yes" and spoke only a few words during her court hearing, although she was seen wiping tears with a tissue.
Zamora stood next to her attorney as Judge Stephens asked, “How do you wish to plead?” Zamora replied, “Guilty.”
The victim’s lawyer, Russ Richelsoph, was also present but did not comment.
12 News reached out to Zamora’s lawyer but received no response. However, Zamora has responded to the accusations in a recorded phone call the boy’s parents made with a detective present on March 22, 2018 before Zamora was arrested.
"From the bottom, of my heart, I am so sorry," said Zamora as she pleaded for the boy’s parents to meet with her in person to discuss the accusations. "I don't want to say stuff and have me be recorded right now and have you bring this to court and me go to jail for the rest of my life, you know what I'm saying," said Zamora. She did not know she was being recorded by a detective.
They victim’s parents asked her why she would get involved with their son.
“Honestly, I just got really close. After I think everything went down. We were like, ‘Oh, how could that happen?’ and then we just got close,” replied Zamora in the call. “And so it just went too far, and, like, something that should absolutely never happen. That will never happen again."
Zamora sentencing is set for July 12 at 10 a.m. at the Maricopa County Superior Court. Based on the terms of the plea agreement, she will likely face 20 years in prison.