A married teacher accused of sexually abusing a pupil allegedly said: “I’m going to jail, aren’t I?” when detectives arrived at the school to speak to her, a court has heard.
Tayla Lee Brailey, 30, was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly abusing a 17-year-old boy she taught at Lurnea High School in Sydney’s south-west in July.
She has been charged with sexual abuse, sexual intercourse with a person in her care and aggravated sexual assault. She has been released on bail with strict conditions, including residing with her parents in Wollongong.
The allegations, detailed in police files obtained by the Daily Telegraph and referred to in court, allege the incident occurred when the boy and Brailey began chatting in early July after he added her on Snapchat.
According to the documents, the initial conversation was “general” chitchat, but the conversation reportedly took a sexual turn, with Brailey sending nude photos and videos of her masturbating and receiving photos and videos of the boy in return.
Police allege Brailey, who married just 11 months ago, invited the boy to her West Wollongong home in mid-July where they kissed and she performed sexual acts on him.
The documents show that at one point a friend who had accompanied the boy to the house caught them.
A week later, while at work, Brailey allegedly asked the boy to meet up. He allegedly walked to a secluded spot near the school to meet her. There, they had sex in the backseat of a car.
Tayla Brailey (pictured) has been charged with allegedly raping a male student
According to the documents, she then drove to a pharmacy and bought the morning-after pill.
The couple reportedly had no contact after that, until Brailey contacted him and accused him of telling others about their sexual encounters. Police say he denied this.
Nearly two weeks later, on Tuesday, police arrived at Lurnea High School to speak with Brailey, who reportedly became “hysterical” when detectives confronted him about the allegations.
According to the documents, she allegedly said, “I’m going to jail, right? I’m going to lose my family, my husband, my job.”
When the boy was interviewed by police, he said he felt he had to send “intimate images” to Brailey to keep her “satisfied,” the documents state.
After her arrest, Brailey spent the night in the Amber Laurel Correctional Centre before appearing in Liverpool District Court on Wednesday.
The prosecution told the court that the case against Brailey was “strong” because she had made confessions and evidence had been obtained from her phones and those of the alleged victim.
The court also heard that Brailey admitted to police that she had spoken to two other students via social media.
Brailey’s parents are pictured outside Liverpool District Court on Wednesday where their daughter was released on bail
Brailey is pictured with her chickens in Bali, ahead of her wedding last September
Magistrate Imad Abdul-Karim granted Brailey, who is also married and goes by the name Rizza, bail on strict conditions, including that she must stay with her parents and only leave the house if one of her parents accompanied her.
She must also surrender her passport, adhere to a curfew and not go near the school.
Brailey has worked for the New South Wales Department of Education since October 2017, after completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and Health Education from the University of Wollongong.
The 30-year-old got engaged to her partner in December 2021 and married in September last year.
She celebrated her bachelorette party in Bali with friends and family and enjoyed time at the popular Finns Beach Club, with several snaps shared on social media.
Earlier this year she also appeared on Channel Seven’s quiz show The 1% Club.
The education department confirmed that the teacher has been suspended without pay and that support is being provided to the school’s staff and students.
The case will return to court on October 2.