Teacher Sex Trial Starts With Graphic Testimony

Two students testify about sex with former English teacher

UPDATE: Aug. 17: Colleps has been found guilty on all counts. Read more at this updated article.

The trial of a former Kennedale High School teacher accused of having sex with several students is now under way.

Brittni Colleps faces five felony counts of having an inappropriate relationship between a student and a teacher.

The student, who was 18 at the time of the alleged sexual relationship, testified under a pseudonym. "Aaron" detailed several incidents he says took place at Colleps' Arlington home, as well as explicit text messages they allegedly exchanged.

The first day of trial was full of graphic testimony and included the prosecution showing jurors a cell phone video that captured one of the alleged sexual incidents.

"And he (a victim) began filming it, with this defendant's knowledge she is filmed," said Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Beach.

Beach showed the video just to the jury and other court personnel. The media and people in the gallery could not view it. The incident happened sometime in April 2011 in the upstairs bedroom of Colleps' home.

Beache said Colleps had "sexual intercourse and deviant sexual intercourse" with the student in the home she shared with her husband in the military and her three small children.

Colleps hardly looked at the video in court or reacted at all as one of her former students testified about the incidents and the text messages.

Beach asked about what happened in the bedroom on a night in which multiple students were at Colleps' home.

"We all started performing oral sex and having sexual intercourse with her," the victim stated.

Defense attorney Lex Johnston declined to give an opening statement but did request a mistrial on several occasions.

A second victim identified as "Paul" also testified on Tuesday. All five students who engaged in the alleged acts will testify.

While they were 18 at the time, it is against the law in Texas for a teacher to have a sexual relationship with a student.

Prosecutors highlighted text messages between Colleps' phone and "Aaron" that they said show how the inappropriate relationship went into the classroom.

"You're actually sitting in her class as a student and she's sending you these graphic sexual messages," Beach said, to which the victim confirmed.

At one point Colleps allegedly told the student she was having difficulty looking at him because of their exchange.

If convicted, Colleps could face two to 20 years in prison per each count, but she would be probation eligible.

The trial is set to resume Thursday because the judge has a case docket on Wednesday.

Contact Us