Teacher accused of sexually abusing teen student allegedly drove to a park after school to have sex with him
New evidence has emerged in the case of a 23-year-old engaged female teacher who has been accused of sexually assaulting one of her teenage students, with investigators reportedly obtaining CCTV footage that proves their allegations. We had previously reported how Monica Young had been arrested and charged in July 2020 after her victim, a 14-year-old, told police she had sex with him, sent him explicit messages on Snapchat and asked him to share explicit photos of himself with her.
Court documents obtained by Daily Mail Australia have revealed the details of the most serious allegation against her: that she drove the student to a western Sydney park after school and then climbed on top of him to have sex with him in the car. Investigators have CCTV footage that allegedly shows Young's car approaching the park, according to a police statement of facts tendered in court. However, the recordings did not capture what happened inside the vehicle, which ultimately may have helped her defense lawyers secure her temporary freedom via bail.
Young is facing 10 charges, including multiple counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child, two counts of sexually touching a child intentionally, and inciting a minor to touch her sexually. The last of those charges stemmed from an allegation that she placed the victim's hand on her thigh in the classroom, inciting him to put his hand inside her tights and fondle her vagina.
The 23-year-old, who has denied all charges, was initially denied bail and had spent a month behind bars at Silverwater Women's Prison until the New South Wales Supreme Court ruled that she could be released earlier this week. Her barrister Ian Lloyd QC argued that his client did not have a criminal record and said the prosecution was "exaggerating" when they claimed there was CCTV footage that captured the teen putting his hands on her leg.
Quoting the police fact sheet, Lloyd said, "'(The victim) says she placed his hand down her tights. It's then said this was captured by CCTV which shows the victim's arm outstretched, his hand hidden under the table. That's the true statement of what the CCTV shows. It does not show any sexual assault." Lloyd also addressed allegations that his client had sent the 14-year-old an explicit image of herself on Snapchat. He said the image, where she was lying on the bed and said she was "waiting" for him, did not show any sexual activity either. He said the 23-year-old was fully clothed at the time.
Unsuccessfully arguing against the bail, the prosecution insisted their case against the teacher was "not weak at all". Prosecutor Scott Jaegar said Young posed a risk to the victim, who had asked that she not be released because he feared she would target other children. Jaegar highlighted how, when the victim's mother realized something was going on between her son and Young, the teacher changed her Snapchat identity to that of a young boy "so as not to arouse suspicion".
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Campbell conceded that the allegations against Young were "frankly shocking" but ultimately granted her bail. However, he ordered that she should remain under house arrest and that she would have to pay $850,000 in case she breached the conditions. He also told her to report daily to the local police and present herself at the front door to any officer who checks on her curfew.