A Sydney teacher has admitted to sexual offences against two teenage students, aged 16 and 17. Tayla Brailey, 32, targeted the boys on social media, warning them “not to tell anyone” to avoid her getting in trouble.
Social media grooming
A court heard that Brailey began a conversation with the younger student by asking, “Do you like what you see? I see you liking my phones”, to which he responded “Yeah I do”. She then told the teen she was planning to take a shower and sent a photograph of a reflection of herself in the shower. She asked him to send a sexually explicit photo, which he did. Her reply was “Yum”.
On a later occasion, Brailey sexually touched and kissed the boy during an arranged meeting. After the victim left, she blocked him on social media, the court heard.
Second victim
Brailey’s communication with the older student began when he added her on Snapchat. The pair exchanged sexually explicit images, and when Brailey sent the boy a photograph of herself, the teen replied, “Let’s go somewhere”. They later met up and had sex in the victim’s car. When asked by police whether he felt pressured to send nude photographs, the teenager responded “A bit”.
The court heard that Brailey instructed the boys to “delete conversations” as she could get in trouble. The offences happened in the summer of 2024, 12 months after she had got married.
Admissions and mental health
At the time of her arrest, the New South Wales Department of Education said she was suspended from work without pay, and support was being provided to students and staff at the school.
Brailey later admitted to having sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old, sexually touching the teen, and using a carriage service to access child abuse material. She also admitted to sexually touching a 16-year-old and transmitting child abuse material to herself via a carriage service.
In both cases, the prosecutor said there was no force, threats, or a lack of consent, but the offences involved a breach of trust.
Brailey’s barrister, April Francis, said that while sexual gratification formed part of her motivation, she was suffering from an “uncharacteristic and irrational sexual urge” due to an undiagnosed bipolar disorder at the time, News.com.au reports.
“There is no real contest that she’s demonstrated remorse, that she has taken significant steps towards rehabilitation in terms of addressing the underlying mental health issue,” the prosecutor said.
“There is also no contest that there is evidence of a mental health issue that contributed in some way to the commission of the offence such that the offender’s moral culpability may be found to be reduced.”
Acknowledging her mental health condition, the prosecutor insisted that she knew her actions were wrong and illegal. They added: “The offence is concerned with the exploitation by an adult of a special care relationship. Teachers are by and large…adults who ought to know better. Whilst here the offender was compromised in some way by her then undiagnosed bipolar disorder, she did however realise what she was doing was morally wrong and illegal.”
