St. Xavier teacher accused of having sex with at-risk student, 17

A teacher at an elite Catholic all-boys school outside Cincinnati, Ohio, faces up to 15 years in prison for allegedly having sex with an at-risk 17-year-old student in her campus office, sending him nude photos and continued to haunt him after authorities say he tried to break off the illicit relationship.

Emily Nutley, 42, was charged with six counts of sexual assault, a third-degree felony, after the alleged affair. Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers said.

In the fall 2023 semester, Nutley was hired by St. Xavier High School, a prestigious Jesuit boys’ school, as supervisor of a program designed to “help students struggling with academics,” the prosecutor’s office said.

Through her role, she met the victim, a 17-year-old boy, who was a participant in her program, officials said.

Nutley then began a relationship with the victim outside of school hours, during which she texted him nude photos of herself and sexually explicit messages, prosecutors said.

By mid-November, Nutley and the victim had a physical relationship, with Nutley allegedly performing a sex act on the victim “at least once on the campus of St. Xavier High School and once off campus,” officials said.

According to prosecutors, Nutley and the student also had sex after school in her office on campus.

“When the victim attempted to stop the encounters, Nutley continued to contact the victim via text messages,” the prosecutor’s office said.

The inappropriate relationship was discovered through an internal investigation by school administrators, who contacted Springfield Township police. The department then started its own investigation.

Powers denounced Nutley’s “reprehensible conduct” and said she plans to prosecute the case fully and thoroughly.

“This is absolutely unacceptable and reprehensible behavior by an adult towards a minor child. This child needed help and guidance, but instead found an adult willing to express her perverted sexual desires,” Powers wrote.

Nutley was fired from the school in October, Fox 19 reported this.

In a statement, St. Xavier said it believed the case was an “isolated incident.”

“At this time, we respectfully ask for continued prayers for the well-being of our students, their families, our entire staff, and for all individuals affected by abuse. We remain committed to providing a safe, supportive and nurturing environment for our entire St. Xavier community,” St. Xavier President Tim Riley told the outlet.

If convicted, Nutley will also have to register as a sex offender, officials said.

She will appear in court on November 8, the outlet reported.