- It was love says, sex tryst teacher
- By Chloe Adams
- The Herald Sun
- 18/08/2004 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: admin ( 100 articles in 2004 )
Guilty plea: ... Karen Ellis outside court.
A TEACHER bombarded a 15-year-old schoolboy lover with 499 text messages during their illicit affair, a court was told yesterday.
Family torn apart
Mother-of-three Karen Louise Ellis admitted yesterday to having sex with the student on six occasions last year, while her husband was away on business.
The Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard the pair were in love, and might still be together if the boy had been older and the circumstances different.
Ellis, 36, of Eltham North, pleaded guilty yesterday to six charges of sexual penetration involving a child under 16.
Their forbidden liaisons were revealed after the boy's suspicious mother spotted the two getting into Ellis's car outside the school grounds.
The mother described their body language as "lovey dovey".
The court was told the boy, who cannot be named, failed Year 10 and became estranged from his family after the affair ended in November last year.
Ellis, a petite blonde who appeared in court dressed in black and wearing dark sunglasses, resigned from her position as physical education and health teacher in December.
It is understood the boy and Ellis remain in contact.
The affair began in September last year with kisses exchanged in the school gym, and developed into a sexual relationship within a month, the court was told.
Ellis told police the pair were shooting hoops on the school's basketball court when the boy declared: "If I get this in . . . you can give me a kiss."
A month later, the pair went to Ellis's house, where they shared a meal and had sex.
Over the next six weeks, the pair used Ellis's family home as a hideaway to have sex and talk.
The boy skipped school once to be with his lover, who worked only part-time.
Ellis told police she accepted she was in the wrong, but had not really considered the boy's age.
"He wasn't a little boy," she told police in her interview.
"It actually sounds so ridiculous, but I know (his) feelings. And I know mine.
"It isn't just about sex. Honestly, if I split up . . . tomorrow with my husband and (the boy) was 18, I would imagine we would still continue to see each other."
She said the pair regularly sent love text messages to each other.
Police said phone records show Ellis text-messaged the boy 499 times over a three-month period, and received 123 voice messages from him.
Ellis was supported by her husband, Stephen, at her last court appearance, but appeared without him yesterday.
But her lawyer, Chester Metcalfe, said she continued to have the support of her family.
Ellis faces a maximum jail term of 15 years on each charge.
Magistrate Dan Muling released her on bail and ordered her to appear in the County Court on November 4.
Family torn apart
EXPOSURE of Karen Ellis's affair with a 15-year-old student has torn the youth's family apart, friends say.
The revelation has resulted in a bitter rift between the successful junior sportsman and his parents, they say.
"That family have been torn apart," said a friend, who asked not to be named. "This is about ruining people's lives."
The boy's distressed mother would not talk about the case to the Herald Sun yesterday, for fear it would only widen the rift between her and her son.
"It would make things 110 per cent worse," she said.
According to reports before the court, the boy's mother was the first to raise the alarm.
She told police she became suspicious when her son came home late one night with love bites on his neck and then lied about where he had been.
Her worst fears were realised when she witnessed her son and Ms Ellis getting into the teacher's car outside the school.
She later told the school's assistant principal that "they looked like husband and wife".
Related story:
Stepping over the line
Family torn apartMother-of-three Karen Louise Ellis admitted yesterday to having sex with the student on six occasions last year, while her husband was away on business.
The Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard the pair were in love, and might still be together if the boy had been older and the circumstances different.
Ellis, 36, of Eltham North, pleaded guilty yesterday to six charges of sexual penetration involving a child under 16.
Their forbidden liaisons were revealed after the boy's suspicious mother spotted the two getting into Ellis's car outside the school grounds.
The mother described their body language as "lovey dovey".
The court was told the boy, who cannot be named, failed Year 10 and became estranged from his family after the affair ended in November last year.
Ellis, a petite blonde who appeared in court dressed in black and wearing dark sunglasses, resigned from her position as physical education and health teacher in December.
It is understood the boy and Ellis remain in contact.
The affair began in September last year with kisses exchanged in the school gym, and developed into a sexual relationship within a month, the court was told.
Ellis told police the pair were shooting hoops on the school's basketball court when the boy declared: "If I get this in . . . you can give me a kiss."
A month later, the pair went to Ellis's house, where they shared a meal and had sex.
Over the next six weeks, the pair used Ellis's family home as a hideaway to have sex and talk.
The boy skipped school once to be with his lover, who worked only part-time.
Ellis told police she accepted she was in the wrong, but had not really considered the boy's age.
"He wasn't a little boy," she told police in her interview.
"It actually sounds so ridiculous, but I know (his) feelings. And I know mine.
"It isn't just about sex. Honestly, if I split up . . . tomorrow with my husband and (the boy) was 18, I would imagine we would still continue to see each other."
She said the pair regularly sent love text messages to each other.
Police said phone records show Ellis text-messaged the boy 499 times over a three-month period, and received 123 voice messages from him.
Ellis was supported by her husband, Stephen, at her last court appearance, but appeared without him yesterday.
But her lawyer, Chester Metcalfe, said she continued to have the support of her family.
Ellis faces a maximum jail term of 15 years on each charge.
Magistrate Dan Muling released her on bail and ordered her to appear in the County Court on November 4.
Family torn apart
EXPOSURE of Karen Ellis's affair with a 15-year-old student has torn the youth's family apart, friends say.
The revelation has resulted in a bitter rift between the successful junior sportsman and his parents, they say.
"That family have been torn apart," said a friend, who asked not to be named. "This is about ruining people's lives."
The boy's distressed mother would not talk about the case to the Herald Sun yesterday, for fear it would only widen the rift between her and her son.
"It would make things 110 per cent worse," she said.
According to reports before the court, the boy's mother was the first to raise the alarm.
She told police she became suspicious when her son came home late one night with love bites on his neck and then lied about where he had been.
Her worst fears were realised when she witnessed her son and Ms Ellis getting into the teacher's car outside the school.
She later told the school's assistant principal that "they looked like husband and wife".
Related story:
Stepping over the line
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