A married Catholic school teacher, who admitted to having a sexual relationship with a teenage student has been sentenced to three years in prison.
At her sentencing, 43-year-old Emily Nutley said she was sorry for her actions, but many— including the judge—felt her apology came too late, as the damage had already been done.
Details of the Crime: What Did Emily Nutley Do?
Emily Nutley was a married school counselor and mother of three who worked at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.
She was in charge of supervising an academic support program meant to help students who were struggling academically.
But in the fall of 2023, she started an inappropriate and sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male student who was part of that program.
Nutley and the 17-year-old started the illicit affair in November 2023 and continued into December 2023,
as per Sun News.
According to court documents, Nutley had sex with the student multiple times in the school premises, including once in her own office.
She also engaged in oral sex with the student multiple times, and she also sent him explicit text messages and naked photographs of herself.
When the student tried to end the relationship, Nutley reportedly pressured him to stay, even going as far as threatening to harm herself.
"She told me she would kill herself if I ended it," the victim later disclosed in a written statement.
The abuse was uncovered in October 2023 when the school began an internal investigation, and Nutley was fired immediately.
The local police department were then notified, a criminal investigation followed, and she was arrested soon after.
Emily Nutley’s Trial and Sentencing
The former teacher and counselor later accepted a plea deal, which gave her a reduced sentence.
On June 10, 2025, she stood before Judge Jennifer Branch and was sentenced for two counts of sexual battery.
When she was allowed to speak, Nutley admitted she was guilty but mainly talked about what she had lost, rather than the pain she caused the victim.
"I’ve lost my husband, my home, my friends," she said. "I think every day about the impact of my actions."
Nutley told the court she was getting help from professionals to understand her actions, but she didn’t directly talk about the emotional harm she caused the student.
Judge Branch said she was disappointed with Nutley’s statement, explaining that she had hoped to hear a more direct and sincere acknowledgment of the victim’s pain.
"I was looking for you to say that you acknowledge the harm you caused this young man," the judge said.
"You pretty much ruined the rest of his high school career. I didn’t see it. I didn’t hear it."
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| Emily Nutley’s Mugshot |
The teenage victim, now grappling with lasting emotional damage, shared his pain in a letter read aloud in court.
"When the abuse started, I didn’t know I was being taken advantage of," he wrote. "She told me she would kill herself if I ended it. It left me confused, lacking self-worth, and depressed."
The teen also shared that he still gets harassed at school events, with people shouting Nutley’s name at him.
Additionally, he said he now has a hard time trusting others, especially adults in positions of authority.
The sentence was less than the maximum 10 years she could have faced, mainly because she pleaded guilty and had no previous criminal record..
After her arrest in November 2024, Emily’s husband, Jonathan Nutley, filed for divorce.
In legal documents obtained by TMZ, Emily accused him of "gross neglect of duty and extreme cruelty," seemingly suggesting that problems in their marriage may have played a role in her actions.
As Nutley begins her sentence, the victim continues to heal—while the case serves as a stark reminder of the harm caused by such abuses of power.
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