A geography teacher who admitted to having sex with her 14-year-old student after nine months of denying the allegations split from her supportive fiancé before pleading guilty.
Monica Elizabeth Young, 24, fronted Downing Centre District Court on Monday – without her engagement ring or the support of her fiancé – and admitted to aggravated sexual intercourse with the boy in Homebush in June and July, 2020.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal the couple separated early in 2021, despite initially putting on a united front when Young was arrested at her home in south-west Sydney on July 10, 2020.
At the time, her fiancé Moey said Young ‘would never, ever, ever do something like that’.
Even after learning of her admission and that she cheated on him with the student, Moey told Daily Mail Australia he would continue to support her from afar.
‘I’m fine,’ he said of the split. ‘I’ll still be sticking beside her no matter the outcome.
Monica Elizabeth Young has split from her fiancé (pictured together) after he initially supported her through court proceedings
Monica Elizabeth Young, 24, fronted Downing Centre District Court on Monday – without her engagement ring or the support of her fiancé
Young was also pictured back in February without her engagement ring, supporting a friend’s claim they have been ‘separated for months’
‘I’ll always be beside her.’
On her two last appearances in Downing Centre District Court, Young went without her engagement ring and her partner was nowhere to be seen.
Moey has since confirmed they separated prior to Young entering a guilty plea on Tuesday.
A source close to her ex-fiancé said they split ‘a few months back now’ and that he ‘was really upset about it but he wouldn’t show it to the public’.
The friend said Moey’s parents are likely to have stepped in and convinced him to end the relationship, after reportedly being incensed at their son being thrust into the spotlight.
At the time of her arrest, a member of his community said: ‘Moey is a good kid with a supportive family.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal the couple separated early in 2021, despite initially putting on a united front when Young was arrested at her home in south-west Sydney on July 10, 2020
Despite their split, Moey told Daily Mail Australia he will always support Young ‘no matter the outcome’
‘However this news would be a shock to them… to hear news like this would devastate the family as our community tend to have a big mouth.’
Moey previously said his mother’s opinion of a potential wife is the ‘most important’ thing to him.
‘Dear Future Wife… If you don’t kiss my mums feet you’re not welcome into my life,’ he said.
Young and her ex-fiancé were childhood sweethearts and due to be married before she was arrested on 12 charges relating to engaging in a sexual relationship with a child.
She maintained her innocence right up until last week, when her legal counsel approached the Director of Public Prosecutions and indicated she would be willing to plead guilty to three of the charges.
It is not clear if her admission of guilt – and cheating on her partner – led to the separation.
Monica Elizabeth Young (pictured) donned an all-black ensemble when she appeared in Downing Centre District Court on Monday
Monica Elizabeth Young (pictured) enters Downing Centre District Court for the first day of a two day hearing ahead of her trial in September
Her 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.
On Tuesday morning, the Director of Public Prosecutions indicted Young on three counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child, meaning her victim was no longer required to testify.
Her barrister, former top prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC, told the court 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 said.
Young stood before Judge Kate Traill on Tuesday and meekly pleaded guilty to having sex with her teenage student on three separate occasions in Homebush in Sydney’s west between June 21 and July 3.
She was supported by an older female companion when she fronted court on Monday – but Young’s fiance, who once vowed to stand by her, was not present. She also was not wearing her engagement ring
A police statement of facts previously tendered in court said Young drove her pupil to a western Sydney park, mounted him and had sex in her car.
Investigators obtained CCTV footage allegedly showing Young’s car approaching the park, according to material before the court.
The aggravated element of each of the charges stems from the fact that the boy was under her authority and that Young had a position of trust at the time of offending.
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 immediately taken into custody.
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
The maximum penalty for each count of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child under 16 is 12 years’ imprisonment.
Prosecutor Alexander Terracini told the court he would argue custody ‘is the only option’ for Young when she is sentenced on June 24.
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.
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.
Young was last pictured back in February when she was due to appear in court – sporting longer, lighter hair and a face mask due to Covid restrictions
Monica Elizabeth Young (right) was joined on Monday by a female companion for support
Young had only just started her teaching career when the offences occurred between June 24 and July 6 last year
Young had only just started her teaching career when the offences occurred between June 24 and July 6 last year.
Young spent a month in custody last year before she was released on strict bail conditions.
She had maintained her innocence and entered an official plea of not guilty right up until last week, when her counsel claims to have contacted prosecutors wanting to plead guilty to some of the charges.
Prosecutor Alexander Terracini provided the court with documents relating to three other offences that will be taken into account at the time of sentencing.
They will not result in a conviction.
Young no longer works as a teacher. She is due to be sentenced on June 24.
