A female PE teacher accused of sexually abusing a 17-year-old male student allegedly told the teenager not to tell anyone, a court has heard.
Tayla Lee Brailey, 30, faced Liverpool Magistrates Court on Wednesday after being charged with allegedly sexually touching a person under special care, sexual intercourse with a person under special care and aggravated sexual assault.
She was arrested on Tuesday afternoon at a high school in Sydney’s southwest.
Appearing via video link from the Amber Laurel Correctional Centre, Brailey, dressed in grey tracksuit pants and a hoodie, sat quietly and stared at the ground as her lawyer made an application for bail.
Her parents sat in the court, at times becoming emotional, while her husband who she married in September last year remained in the lobby.
The prosecution, who opposed bail, argued the case against Brailey was ‘strong’ as she had made admissions to police and added custody was needed to prevent interference of witnesses.
The prosecutor also told the court Brailey had admitted to speaking to two other students, aside from the alleged victim, on social media, that there was CCTV relating to one of the charges, and that evidence of communication was found on her phone as well as the alleged victim’s.
The prosecution also made a last-ditch bid for a gag order to ban the publication of her name, the location of the school, or any witnesses, arguing an eight-week interim order was needed to prevent any conflict with ongoing police investigations.
The application was opposed by media outlets The Daily Telegraph and Sydney Morning Herald, who argued police had already issued key details in a media statement on Wednesday morning, and the ‘cat was already out of the bag’.
After a court recess, the prosecution tendered a watered-down application proposing a suppression on the location of the school, however, Magistrate Imad Abdul-Karim dismissed their bid, ruling current laws overseeing reporting were sufficiently restrictive.
Brailey’s lawyer Patrick Schmidt conceded the case was strong, but argued any risks could be mitigated by strict bail conditions.
He argued his client had strong ties to her family and community, no history of violence, and the alleged offending was not over a ‘prolonged period’.
Granting bail, Magistrate Abdul-Karim ruled Brailey must stay at her parents’ house and only leave home if accompanied by one of her parents.
She must also surrender her passport, abide by a curfew, and not go near the school.
During intermissions, Brailey’s new husband and her parents could be seen hugging each other as they all cried.
Outside court, her parents refused to answer questions, with Mr Schmidt telling reporters they would be going over the evidence.
The matter is next due before court on October 2.
Brailey had been working for the NSW Department of Education since October, 2017, after completing a bachelor’s degree in Physical and Health Education at the University of Wollongong.
The 30-year-old became engaged to her partner in December, 2021 and tied the knot in September last year.
She celebrated her Hens party in Bali with friends and family, enjoying time at the popular Finns Beach Club, with several snaps shared to social media.
She also appeared on Channel Seven’s quiz show The 1% Club earlier this year.
The education department confirmed the teacher had been suspended without pay and support is being provided to staff and students at the school.