Former geography teacher Monica Young pleads GUILTY to aggravated sex with 14 year old student

A Sydney geography teacher has admitted to having sex with a 14-year-old male student on three separate occasions. 

Monica Elizabeth Young, 23, fronted Downing Centre District Court on Monday where she admitted to aggravated sexual intercourse with the boy in Homebush in June and July, 2020.

Her alleged victim and another teenage boy were due to pre-record their evidence on Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of her five day trial beginning on September 21.

But former top prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC, who was enlisted to defend Young, on Monday indicated her client would be willing to plead guilty to several of the charges. 

By Tuesday morning, the Director of Public Prosecutions had agreed to proceed with three counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child.

She was initially charged with 12 offences. 

Young stood before Judge Kate Traill on Tuesday morning and meekly pleaded guilty to having sex with her teenage student on three separate occasions at a location in Homebush in Sydney’s west between June 21 and July 3.

Monica Elizabeth Young (pictured) donned an all-black ensemble when she appeared in Downing Centre District Court on Monday

She will undergo a psychiatric assessment before she is due to be sentenced in June.

‘We have medical personnel lined up and are hopeful for some treatment regimes before the inevitable,’ Ms Cunneen told the court.

Judge Traill did not alter Young’s bail conditions following her guilty plea and there was no suggestion she be taken into custody. 

Currently living with family, Young must report to police on a daily basis, adhere to a strict 8pm to 8am curfew and can only leave the house while accompanied by her parents or grandmother. 

Ms Cunneen said on Monday Young was ‘very anxious to avoid a situation where [the victim] had to endure another weekend of concern about having to do this [give evidence]’. 

‘My instruction from Ms Young is to put him out of his misery as soon as possible,’ she added. 

Monica Elizabeth Young (pictured) enters Downing Centre District Court for the first day of a two day hearing ahead of her trial in September

The Director of Public Prosecutions initially indicated they would have a response to the submission by close of business on Monday, to avoid potentially unnecessarily making the witnesses give their testimony on Tuesday.

‘I’ll do my best for an answer one way or another… One so the complainant can have an answer but also so Ms Young can have an answer hopefully by today,’ the prosecutor said. 

‘Everybody that needs to know will know as soon as I know. We all need to have some direction as soon as possible.’

Young looked unrecognisable as she entered the Downing Centre flanked by Ms Cunneen, solicitor Gazi Abbas and a female companion.

Her long, blonde hair had been chopped into a blunt mid-length bob and her coloured a darker brown. 

She also went without her engagement ring and her fiance, who initially insisted she was innocent, did not appear in court to support her. 

Monica Elizabeth Young (right) was joined on Monday by a female companion for support

Young had only just started her teaching career when the alleged offences occurred between June 24 and July 6 last year.

A court previously heard she allegedly sent the boy a Snapchat message with a photo showing her genitalia while lying in a bed, which was captioned ‘I’m waiting for you’.

Young spent a month in custody last year before she was released on strict bail conditions. 

She no longer works as a teacher ahead of her trial later this year. 

Young has enlisted the help of former top prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC to fight the charges. 

Ms Cunneen famously locked up gang rapist Bilal Skaf and notorious predator Michael Guider in a previous role.

The well known lawyer began working as a defence counsel in recent years and has since represented clients including former top cop Gary Jubelin.

Monica Elizabeth Young (pictured) has pleaded not guilty to all 12 charges against her