Teacher Accused of Sex with Student Pleads Guilty

A former Paradise Valley High School teacher and cheerleading coach pleaded guilty Friday to charges arising from an affair with a 16-year-old male student.

Jennifer Diane Mally had been charged with 17 counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, and pleaded guilty to three of those counts. Under the plea deal, the other 14 counts were dismissed.

The former English teacher and cheerleading coach faces 1 to 6 years behind bars when she is sentenced May 9.

"We hope the court will sentence this defendant to an appropriate amount of time behind bars," said Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. "We will do our best to ensure that outcome. We will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases."

Mally will give up her teaching certificate and has been ordered to pay restitution to the victim.

Mally, who was 26 when she was arrested last May, was accused of having a six-month sexual relationship with the victim that began in October 2006. Mally was arrested in April 2007.