An Australian high school teacher has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a teenage boy on multiple occasions.
Karly Rae, 37, entered guilty pleas to four charges in a local court last week, with her lawyer, Mark Ramsland, asking for the matter to be treated as a priority, given she had her eight-week-old baby with her in court.
Rae initially pleaded not guilty to the offences in May this year, but has since changed her pleas, which related to having sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old boy in October 2024, 7 News reports.
The new mother also pleaded guilty to three other offences, including possessing child abuse material, grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity, and committing an act with the intention of perverting the course of justice.
The abuse reportedly occurred in three different suburbs.
Karly Rae. Credit: Karly Rae/Facebook.
Shocking Flirty Messages
Court documents said Rae communicated with the 15-year-old on social media apps Snapchat and Instagram, sending shocking flirtatious messages to him.
In one message, Rae allegedly wrote: "Hey, sorry for removing you on Snap. I found it too tempting for now."
A few messages later, the boy asked: "Should we remove each other now?"
Rae allegedly responded with: "It's my fault. I take full responsibility. Do what you want/need."
“Maybe we could have one last rendezvous before school goes back. I’ll bring my toy,” Rae allegedly wrote in a further message to the boy, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation details.
The boy's cousin reportedly saw the exchanged messages before telling the boy's parents who then reported the incident to the police.
According to court documents, Rae told police upon her arrest that she did not know the boy was 15, saying: "I thought he was of age … and leaving school."
Legal Process Continues
In June, Rae was granted Supreme Court bail after revealing in court that she was pregnant, and a previous bail application has been denied.
She was also due to stand trial in August 2026 but the court dates have now been vacated.
She pleaded guilty at Newcastle District Court in New South Wales, Australia, on Thursday. Credit: Google Maps.
Judge Roy Ellis has set aside two-and-a-half hours for a sentencing hearing scheduled for March 25, 2026, ordering that a sentencing assessment report be compiled ahead of that date, per the New York Post.
Rae's lawyer said there would be "a lot of subjective material" presented as part of the defence's submissions.
The police facts included a professional learning transcript from the New South Wales' Department of Education that "indicated Rae had completed child protection training in February 2024".
She remains on bail ahead of sentencing.