A woman previously showered with professional accolades, including 'Teacher of the Year', has been found guilty of sexually assaulting one of her 15-year-old students. But despite her crimes, the educator managed to dodge a prison term.

Brandyn Hargrove, 43, was convicted by US courts on Wednesday, August 27, of 12 charges related to a two-year sexual relationship she had with a 15-year-old girl. The illegal affair allegedly began in 2007 when the victim was a student at Brazoswood High School in Clute, Texas.

The victim, now in her 30s, reported the abuse to police in September 2023, telling them she had been sexually assaulted by Hargrove at an off-campus location over a two-year period. This led to Hargrove's arrest and release on a £177,000 prison bond.

On Tuesday, Hargrove pleaded guilty in court to six counts of sexual assault of a child, four counts of indecency with a child by contact and two counts of indecency with a child by exposure, according to local outlet KPRC 2.

As part of her plea agreement, Hargrove was sentenced to 10 years of probation with deferred adjudication for sexual assault and indecency by contact along with 10 years of probation without deferred adjudication for indecent exposure. Although she will not serve time, she must register as a sex offender for life.

"From the get-go, we really felt there was a good chance this would go to trial, so we were a little surprised with the plea agreement," Clute Police Department Chief James Fitch told TV channel KTRK. "There was a lot of legwork by the detectives tracking down some of those people that went to school 17 years ago with our victim and people she made initial outcries to."

The victim consulted with the district attorney's office before accepting the plea deal, reports the Mirror.

She faced Hargrove in court last week and spoke about the trauma she endured.

She told her former teacher: "Brandyn, I face you today as the adult who now protects the child you once exploited and betrayed. You didn't just break boundaries. You broke a person. Today I go from victim to survivor, victim to victor," The Facts reports.

Hargrove admitted in court that she accepted the plea freely and acknowledged her guilt.

After learning of the investigation, Brazosport Independent School District placed Hargrove on leave in September 2023, then terminated her employment in 2024.

Investigators found no evidence of further victims, according to Chief Fitch.