A Sydney high school teacher may have been "foolish" in her dealings with a student but totally denies having any sexual contact with him, her lawyer has told a judge.
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"She is not charged with foolishness or breaking school rules," Ian Llloyd QC said in successfully arguing in the NSW Supreme Court for bail for Monica Elizabeth Young.
The 23-year-old faces 10 charges including five counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a boy aged 14 to 16.
Justice Stephen Campbell on Thursday granted Young bail with conditions including daily reporting to police, a ban on using social media and two relatives agreeing to forfeit $850,000 if she doesn't comply with the terms.
She can't have more than one phone and will effectively be under home detention.
The Crown opposed bail primarily on the grounds of protection of the complainant, whose parents wrote a letter saying they were concerned Young "may continue to prey" on their son or other children if released.
While the teenager had expressed concern about Young being in jail, he also wanted other children protected by not having her released.
Mr Lloyd submitted Young's dealings with the 14-year-old complainant may have been "foolish" but she totally denied any sexual impropriety with him.
On one view, CCTV footage showed his client had been foolish and perhaps breached school discipline rules by meeting the teenager outside school, perhaps in a stairwell or in his workplace.
"None of the CCTV shows any impropriety on her part towards this complainant," Mr Lloyd said.
The Crown alleged footage showed Young moving the boy's hand and placing it down her tights, but the barrister said the hand was hidden under the table in the footage.
The allegations against her include inciting the boy to send an explicit photo before she did the same of herself.
Mr Lloyd said it was also suggested the complainant asked a classmate to buy some lubricant.
"It is not in dispute he didn't tell why he wanted the lubricant," he said.
Nor was it in dispute that a tube of lubricant was found in Young's bag, but she said she had confiscated it after seeing him with it when he was giggling with other boys.
The judge noted the police investigation was ongoing, with social media exchanges and CCTV footage still to be examined, and any trial was likely to be delayed for some time.
He said it was extremely unlikely that Young would try to contact the complainant, given his attitude to her release and if she did, he would likely report any attempt to his parents.
"This case is not an easy one to decide on because of the frankly shocking and serious nature of the allegations made against the applicant," he said.
But he would put the shock to one side and consider the seriousness of the claims, the strength of the crown case and the bail terms proposed to allay any concerns.
Referring to concerns about offending against other children, the judge said it may be that the case involved a young woman who had "an inappropriate attraction" to a young man which gave rise to alleged criminal conduct.
The case will be mentioned in Burwood Local Court on September 2.
Australian Associated Press