Ohio – An Ohio woman was ordered to spend the next three years behind bars after pIeading guiIty to multiple charges, including se-ual battery involving a maIe student. The sentence, handed down by Judge J. Branc, also includes five years of probation following her release and mandatory lifetime registration as a Tier III se* offender. The classification requires the 43-year-old defendant, E. NutIey, to report to authorities every 90 days for the rest of her life.
The sentencing followed the woman’s April 2025 guilty plea to reduced charges, down from an original six-count indictment. The court determined that the prison terms would run concurrently, despite the prosecution advocating for a five-year sentence and the victim’s family urging for ten years. The judge acknowledged the emotional toll on the student, stating that the aduIt in the situation should have been the one to maintain appropriate boundaries, not the child. In a statement read during sentencing, the student said Nutley had destroyed his life, inflicted emotional trauma, and caused him to lose trust in adults and authority figures.
The case began to unfold in October last year when the victim’s mother contacted the local high school with concerns about the woman’s inappropriate behavior. The school responded swiftly by initiating an internal investigation and notifying law enforcement. The defendant, who worked as an educator and counselor at the high schooI, was removed from her position on October 11, just days after the allegations surfaced. She was indicted on October 28 following a police investigation led by Ohio authorities.
According to court documents, the relationship between the defendant and the victim began in late 2023. The victim reported at least four separate se-ual encounters, including one that took place in the woman’s office at the school. She had also sent the student a series of n-de photos, requested expIicit images from him in return, and provided him with exam answers. Prosecutors revealed that the defendant gave the victim money, paid for a club membership, and attempted to manipulate him emotionally by threatening to harm herself if he ended the relationship.
Investigators also discovered evidence suggesting that the 43-year-old woman may have groomed other students, although no additional charges were filed. Throughout the investigation, she admitted to some of the accusations, including sending messages and photos, but claimed to have been emotionally vulnerable and in need of support herself. She told responding officers that the relationship had grown out of a mentorship role but acknowledged it had gone too far.
The victim spoke out about the ordeal in a letter read aloud in court by Assistant Prosecutor Elyse. In the statement, he explained that the experience had deeply impacted both his high school years and his overall life. He said that at the time the abuse began, he didn’t realize he was being manipulated.
Over time, he said, Nutley became increasingly persistent and refused to leave him alone. He recalled that she even threatened to take her own life if he ended the relationship. The teen added that the consequences have followed him beyond the classroom, sharing that people still shout her name at him during sporting events.
A few weeks after the indictment, the defendant’s husband filed for divorce, prompting his wife to accuse him of gross neglect of duty and extreme cruelty in her legal response.