A former Catholic school employee from Ohio admitted Monday to having sex with a minor student, claiming that her husband’s neglect made her do it.
Emily Nutley, 43, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery for having a physical relationship with a 17-year-old student of Cincinnati’s St. Xavier High School in November and December 2023. She was indicted on six counts in October 2024 after her accuser came forward, but four of those charges were dismissed as part of the plea deal, reported NBC affiliate WLWT.
A few weeks after the indictment, Nutley’s husband, Jonathan Nutley, filed for divorce, prompting his wife to claim he was “guilty of gross neglect of duty and extreme cruelty,” according to TMZ.
Nutley directed academic services at St. Xavier, and supervised a program aimed at helping teens who were struggling academically, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
She started out helping the teen with his schoolwork, then expanded that beyond school hours, sending him nude photos and sexually explicit messages. She allegedly performed oral sex on him and had sex with him in her office and elsewhere after school hours. When he tried to end it, she continued contacting him, according to reports.
St. Xavier fired Nutley immediately for what then-Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers branded “absolutely unacceptable and reprehensible” conduct.
“This child was in need of help and guidance but instead found an adult looking to act out her perverted sexual desires,” Powers said when Nutley was indicted last October, according to WLWT. “Let me be very clear: This is child sexual abuse. This child was the victim of an adult predator who should never again have a role that puts her in contact with children. She used this child for her own sexual gratification while taking advantage of the position she held.”
Nutley could spend up to 10 years behind bars, and must register as a sex offender, WCPO reported.
