Middle school teacher jailed for seven years for sexually assaulting sixth grader 45 times in a year

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A middle school teacher has been jailed after she sexually assaulted a 12-year-old boy 45 times in a year.

Katerina Bardos was teaching sixth grade at Brentwood Elementary School in Greeley, Colorado, when she began an intimate relationship with one of her students, the Denver Post reports. 

The 25-year-old admitted she'd had a 'close relationship' with the boy who she had been mentoring, supplying him with marijuana and even allowing him to sleep over at her home. But she had initially denied ever having sex with the 12-year-old.

However, when the victim told police he and Bardos had sex 'more times than he could count' - including in the parking lot of the teacher's school - she admitted sleeping with him 'between forty and fifty times.' 

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Katerina Bardos has been jailed after she sexually assaulted a 12-year-old boy 45 times in a year

This week, Bardos was sentenced to seven years in jail and a further five on parole 

After a three-week investigation by Greeley Police, Bardos was arrested in May last year. She pleaded guilty to felony child abuse and criminal attempt to commit sexual assault on a child at her hearing on March 3.

This week, she was sentenced to seven years in jail and a further five on parole.

'It is most unfortunate when someone we entrust with our children's safety and well-being takes advantage of that inherent expectation,' Chief Deputy District Attorney Thea Carrasco said.

Bardos had begun her relationship with the boy in her 6th grade classroom in 2014, according to court records. 

The court heard that the teacher had also fostered a relationship with the child's mother and sisters, who were described as being 'like family.'

Bardos was teaching sixth grade at Brentwood Middle School (pictured) in Greeley, Colorado, when the relationship began

Bardos, 25, moved to another school in fall 2014, but the relationship with the now-13-year-old boy continued until just before the arrest

'Her friendship with his mother and sisters only reinforced the expectation that she hold herself to a high standard which she likewise gained by being in a position of trust,' the DA's office said in a statement.

The Greeley-Evans School District released a statement last year following Bardos's arrest, according to FOX 31.

'Katerina Bardos was a teacher at Brentwood Middle School from August 2013 through May 2014. Her contract was not renewed at the end of May 2014,' the statement read.

It continued: 'The only alleged male victim in this case is a student at Brentwood Middle School. Greeley-Evans School District 6 personnel are cooperating with the Greeley Police Department investigation of these allegations.'

Bardos moved to Frontier Charter School to teach fourth grade in fall 2014 and continued to have a sexual relationship with the boy until just before her arrest, police said. 

Brentwood denied any knowledge of their former employee's inappropriate behaviour with a student when they chose not to continue her employment.

However, several teachers at the school told police they had seen Bardos with the boy outside of school on numerous occasions while one said they were aware that the suspect often text the child.

She was fired from Frontier Academy after the allegations were made public.