Florida drama teacher, Brittiny Lopez-Murray, dubbed 'rookie of the year' in 2017, admits to having sex with student, 14, multiple times in her car

A Florida drama teacher has admitted to having sex on multiple occasions with an underage student in her car. 

Brittiny Lopez-Murray, 33, taught at Hialeah Middle School in Miami-Dade County until her arrest in October 2021.

Authorities detailed a lengthy relationship between her and the student. On occasion, she would pick him up from basketball practice before heading to her car where the two would engage in sexual acts.

She has now pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including lewd and lascivious battery, molestation of a child and electronic transmission harmful to minors.

Following her plea, she was sentenced to two years of community control and ten years of probation.  She will also have to register as a sex offender. 

Lopez-Murray had taught at Hialeah Middle for four years prior to the incidents, had no prior disciplinary history and was named 'rookie teacher of the year' in 2017.

Lopez-Murray and the student, who has since graduated and moved to high school in Miami-Dade, exchanged texts on 'how much they enjoyed the sex with each other.' 

Even when school was out, she would continue to contact the boy during the summer and texted the student to discuss 'her feelings toward' him.

The pair would meet up for dates such as coffee before once again heading to her car for sex, sometimes in a mall parking lot.

'The defendant also groomed, enticed, encouraged the victim to send child pornography images by writing things such as, 'perfect, and yum,' according to an arrest affidavit seen by NBC6.

Eventually, the relationship was discovered after the boy's sister saw the various explicit texts and photos that had been sent between him and the teacher. 

The student's father also discovered nude images of the teacher on his son's phone.

The Miami-Dade Public Schools board said it was 'saddened and disappointed' by the actions of Lopez-Murray.

'The District takes great measures to ensure our students are educated in safe learning environments,' the statement read.

'All employees receive training and are expected to abide by the District's Standards of Ethical Conduct policy. It is unfortunate that despite our efforts, the actions of some individuals run contrary to the behavior that is expected of them. 

The legal age of consent in the state of Florida is 18 years old, meaning that any individual aged 17 or younger in Florida is not legally able to consent to sexual activity.