Married Teacher Sentenced to 10 Years for Sexually Assaulting Students
A married English teacher in New Jersey has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting two of her students and becoming pregnant by one of them. Julie Rizzitello, 37, pleaded guilty last year to two counts of second-degree sexual assault after engaging in various sexual acts with the students over extended periods.
Details of the Assaults and Grooming
Rizzitello met her first victim while he was a freshman at Wall Township High School. She had sex with him multiple times between 2017 and 2018. On one occasion, she allegedly encouraged the teen to have unprotected sex with her on his birthday, resulting in a pregnancy that she later aborted. She informed the student about the timeline, as reported by Jersey Shore Online.
Monmouth County Judge Jill Grace strongly criticized Rizzitello during the hearing, accusing her of grooming her students. The judge emphasized the psychological impact on the victims, noting that one student had to grapple with the abortion and the betrayal of trust.
Impact on Victims and Legal Proceedings
Rizzitello reportedly invited the freshman into her classroom during lunch, engaged him in conversation, and even told him she had dreamed about having sex with him. At the sentencing, a statement from one victim was read, describing feelings of anxiety and panic attacks that led him to drop out of college.
The assaults occurred in multiple locations, including her home, car, and a shop during operating hours. Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago stated that these were not isolated incidents but textbook cases of grooming, involving isolation, manipulation, and control.
Sentencing and Aftermath
Rizzitello was arrested in 2024, shortly after resigning from her teaching position. She contacted both victims afterward, asking them to delete evidence from their phones. She will serve two ten-year sentences concurrently, be subject to parole for life, and must register as a sex offender.
In court, it was emphasized that her actions represented the behavior of a standard sexual predator, with the prosecutor condemning the harm inflicted on the young minds she was supposed to nurture.
