Teacher Who Had Sex With Student Cuts Deal To Avoid Jail

BEAUMONT, CA — A Beaumont High School teacher pleaded guilty Thursday to having sex with an underage student as part of an agreement with prosecutors that allows the 32-year-old mother to avoid jail.

Samantha Ciotta, a 32-year-old mother of two, pleaded guilty to three felony counts of unlawful intercourse with a minor. She was sentenced to 180 days in a sheriff’s work release program and four years probation. A single count of “oral copulation of a child” was dismissed. Ciotta, as part of her plea deal, is prohibited from making contact with the student victim for 10 years, according to court papers.

She does not need to register as a sex offender, the District Attorney's office said.

In a Friday conversation Ciotta told Patch News she is “relieved that this all has finally concluded,” and declined to answer questions.

“There are so many facets to this story-- most of which were created by rumors and the media. I have learned a lot throughout the year-- more about myself and more about those who have committed their loyalty to me from the start-- with no questions asked. I would do anything to keep my children safe and by my side, even if that means sacrificing my words and becoming silent when all I really wanted to do was tell my story,” she said in an texted statement.

“I have a long journey ahead of me-- one that requires the love and support from those who have surrounded me, as well starting an entirely new life with my children. My family and friends’ strengths continue to prevail and I am beyond thankful for their love and support. I do pray for ALL of those who were involved in the case. I will take what has happened and use the experiences and lessons learned to give back to the community. At the end of the day, we all bleed red-- we are all human. At the end of the day, I would hope that we all have positive intentions in and throughout our daily lives.

"I would like to show my gratitude to The Greenberg & Greenberg Law Firm. The diligence, professionalism, and patience that were consistently demonstrated by the team meant everything to my family and I. Thank you so much.

"From this point, I will accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be."

The English teacher was arrested last September, three months after starting an sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student that became public in a scandalous Snapchat video that allegedly showed the teacher drinking alcohol with two shirtless teenagers wearing only a shirt and “panties,” according to records obtained by Patch.

She was released on bail and Beaumont High placed her on administrative leave. Ciotta has since lost her state teaching license and her husband filed for divorce in October.

As a part of the plea deal, Ciotta must complete approximately 6 months in a work-release “alternative to jail” program run by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. She needs to also complete 90 hours of community service and may “have no contact with any unrelated minors via any form of social media,” the DA’s office told Patch.

Ciotta must report by June 8 to begin her work release, according to John Hall with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.

If she had been convicted on the same counts she pleaded guilty to, she faced up to four years, four months in prison, Hall said.

Police discovered Ciotta’s relationship with the boy, who is now 17, when a relative of the teen texted the boy last June to ask if swirling rumors about him and Ciotta were true, according to court documents. The relative received replies that made her question who was using the phone.

The boy's relative told police she believed Ciotta's husband was using the boy's iPhone, public records show. The text from the husband stated that he "needed to know the extent of what happened … I deserve that much. I'm not mad at [the boy]. Not even a little bit."

At first, the boy denied having an inappropriate relationship with his teacher when police questioned him. “I'm not f------ talking!,” the boy told police, records show.

Later, though, the teenage victim told police he had sex with Ciotta at least five times. He said he could not remember the exact number of times because he was usually intoxicated during their sexual encounters, public records show.

The victim told police he "tried cover for Ciotta so she would not get in trouble," but ended his silence when he learned that Ciotta — after allegedly having sex with the boy's 19-year old friend — reportedly said her former student "had ruined her life," according to documents filed in support of a search warrant.

"He decided to no longer lie for her," the document states.

Beaumont police served no less than seven search warrants in the case, according to documents obtained by Patch. They searched the woman's home, swabbed her SUV for DNA samples and combed through her cell phone.

Ciotta previously held a teaching position at La Quinta High School and started teaching at Beaumont Unified School District in August 2015.

The guilty plea follows a lawsuit filed by the victim last week against Beaumont Unified School District, Principal Christina Pierce and Vice Principal Ian Young, alleging that while the sexual abuse was occurring, his guardian and at least one other teacher reported their concerns to school administrators, but nothing was done. Pierce resigned from her position earlier this year.

Attorneys for the student victim said school administrators should have been aware of several “red flags” that developed along the way “showing that the relationship between Ms. Ciotta and our client was becoming inappropriate."

"There's likely to be more information that comes out, but it is clear that there were unusual things happening where he was not going to other classes and spending virtually the entire school day in her classroom,” Attorney Roger Booth told Patch. “In our view the school district let him down; given the tough life he had, this is not what he needed from his high school experience.”

— Image shows Samantha Ciotta in her Beaumont police Department Booking photo and part of Beaumont High School; Credit: Renee Schiavone / City News Service contributed to this report