Educator who instructed one of her students to deIete photos of her without cIothes she had sent him after indcentIy assauIting him for months, years after assauIting another minor student, was convicted

New Jersey – A New Jersey woman pleaded guilty last week to two counts of second-degree se-ual assauIt involving two of her stud ents. The incidents occurred in 2017 and 2024 across multiple townships. The defendant, 37-yea-rold JuIie RizziteIIo, was arrested in July last year after a district employee reported her reIationship with a student. She resigned from her role as an educator shortly before her arrest. At her sentencing hearing, scheduled for Jan. next year, prosecutors will recommend a 10-year prison term, mandatory registration as a se* offender, Iifetime paroIe supervision, and permanent forfeiture of public office.

The investigation began in July last year when a schooI empIoyee alerted New Jersey authorities about the woman’s lnappropriate reIationship with a student. Law enforcement officials reported that she had multiple se-ual encounters with the unidentified student between April and June 2024. These encounters took place in various locations, including the student’s car and several towns. She is also accused of sending n-de photos and engaging in expIicit communications with the student.

Additionally, she also admitted to engaging in se-ual acts with another student between 2017 and 2018. The Prosecutor’s Office reported that the educator had separate relationships with both students, leading to the charges against her. The defendant was initially charged with two counts of se-ual assault, three counts of criminal se-ual contact, and one count of witness tampering. The witness tampering charge stemmed from communications in which the woman allegedly instructed one of the victims to delete n-de photos she had sent him. In exchange for pleading guilty to the two counts of se-ual assault, the other charges were dropped.

Police Chief O’HaIIoran expressed concern over the woman’s abuse of her position as an educator, stating that her actions represented a betrayal of trust. He commended the victims for their courage in coming forward and praised the efforts of law enforcement in bringing the case to justice.

She was employed by the school starting in 2013 and following her arrest, she was placed in the county correctional institution. The case has drawn attention to the importance of vigilance and accountability in educational settings to prevent such misconduct.