Goodyear teacher who molested student sentenced to 20 years
Jul 12, 2019, 11:01 AM | Updated: 7:02 pm
Brittany Zamora is sentenced to 20 years in prison in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Friday, July 12, 2019. Judge Sherry Stephens also handed down two lifetime terms of probation to the former Goodyear, Arizona, teacher for molesting a 13-year-old student. (AP Photo/Tom Tingle)
(AP Photo/Tom Tingle)
PHOENIX — A former West Valley teacher who pleaded guilty to having a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old student was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison.
The judge gave Brittany Zamora the minimum sentence she faced, while the state prosecutor called for her to serve 27 years.
“Today’s sentencing is fitting for an individual who exploited her position as a teacher to groom and then abuse a young teen student,” Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said in a press release.
“Prosecutors and law enforcement will continue to be relentless in making Arizona the most unwelcome place for child sex predators.”
Today Judge Sherry Stephens sentenced Brittany Zamora to 20 years in prison for sexual conduct with a minor, attempted molestation of a child, and public sexual indecency.
— MC Superior Court (@courtpio) July 12, 2019
The attorney for the victim’s mother said the student was suffering from depression and having a hard time dealing with the gossip about the case.
“I hate you for what you did to my son and my family. We should not suffer for your sick pleasure,” the mother said in a statement read by her attorney.
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“You should never have children. You should never be close to children within your own family.”
The mother of a second student, whom Zamora showed pornography to and asked to be a lookout while she had sex with the other student in a classroom, ended her emotional impact statement by saying “Everyone hates a child molester.”
Zamora’s mother said she is “proud” to have her as her daughter.
“Brittany has been the sunshine in so many people’s lives. She led many events for school,” her mother said.
“She was teacher of the year, prom queen, as well as she organized many charity events.”
Zamora took the stand to tell the judge she is “not a threat to society” and said she is “ashamed” of her actions.
She pleaded guilty June 11 to sexual conduct with a minor, attempted molestation and public sexual indecency.
The sixth-grade teacher at Las Brisas Academy in Goodyear was arrested in March.
Police documents state the alleged relationship between Zamora and the student began around February.
The student’s parents said they found text messages from the teacher that implied the pair were involved in a sexual relationship both on and off campus.
They reported it to the school’s principal, according to Goodyear police.
The victim and Zamora began talking on a classroom chat, according to police documents, and she eventually sent explicit pictures.
Zamora, a Buckeye resident, taught at the school near Broadway and Citrus roads for less than one year, the court documents said. She graduated from Arizona State University in 2013.
The parents of the student filed a lawsuit against Liberty Elementary School District and Zamora’s husband in January, alleging that both parties did not do enough to investigate and report signs of the inappropriate behavior.
“We’re going to litigate this case vigorously against the school district and we will turn over every stone and rock to get all the evidence we need to sustain our burden and prevail over the school district,” the family’s attorney told KTAR News 92.3 FM Friday evening.
According to the attorney, the family is seeking $2.5 million in damages.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Taylor Kinnerup contributed to this report.
