By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-11 03:54:13 | Updated at 2026-06-12 07:42:49
1 day ago
A former Georgia teacher is on trial for allegedly committing sex crimes against one of her teenage students after another teacher at the Christian private school was convicted of raping the same boy.
Bonnie Brown, 26, was arrested on March 21 and charged with eight counts of improper sexual contact by an educator in the first degree after her alleged victim gave investigators an accurate, hand-drawn sketch of her bedroom.
Brown's trial began on Monday, less than a month after another former teacher at Nathanael Greene Academy, 61-year-old Sherri Maudlin, was sentenced to 12 years in prison and 25 total years on probation for committing statutory rape.
The dual sex-crime allegations were so scandalous that the elite Christian private school was forced to permanently close last year.
On Tuesday, the second day of Brown's trial, her alleged victim spent hours testifying about the alleged illicit relationship he had with his former teacher, 11Alive reported.
He said the two would talk over Snapchat when he was a freshman before the relationship escalated to sexual encounters in 2023, when he was 16. The victim is now 19 years old.
Brown has pleaded not guilty, and her defense attorneys tried to bring the teenager's credibility into question by saying his testimony contradicted statements he gave to investigators shortly after they began looking into the allegations.
The victim said Brown was his language arts teacher and study hall instructor during his freshman year, and that the nature of their conversations shifted after a literary competition in Macon, a city about 70 miles south of the now-shuttered school.
Bonnie Brown, 26, is on trial for allegedly committing sex crimes against her former teenage student. She has pleaded not guilty
Brown's trial comes less than a month after Sherri Maudlin, 61, was sentenced to prison for statutory rape. Her victim was the same boy as Brown's alleged victim
The teenager testified that the first time he and Brown had sex was at his aunt's home after school, just before spring break in 2023.
The second time they had sex was at the former teacher's house during spring break after the two had discussed meeting there, he added.
The victim also said that Brown would send him sexually explicit messages over Snapchat and that they used the platform because messages automatically disappeared.
Prosecutors introduced the sketch of Brown's bedroom that the victim drew. He left the stand to point out features of the room and details he said he remembered from being there.
The teenager testified that he eventually cut off the sex and left Nathanael Greene Academy shortly after. He said that he first told friends about the illicit relationship before disclosing to his family.
The victim admitted that when he was first interviewed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), he denied having sex with his former teacher because he was afraid that the allegations would become public.
He also said that he warned Brown about the investigation through direct messages on Instagram after his initial interview.
Brown's defense used the victim's initial contradictory statements in an attempt to discredit him during cross-examination.
Brown's alleged victim spent hours testifying about the alleged illicit relationship he had with his former teacher
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Her defense attorney introduced photographs of text messages between the victim and his mother, in which he denied having sex with his former teacher and said he wanted to return to Nathanael Greene Academy.
The defense also questioned why there were no recovered Snapchat messages, explicit photos or other digital evidence of the alleged sexual encounters.
The teenager continued to assert that the sex did take place and said that Brown likely deleted saved messages and photos after he had warned her about the investigation.
The prosecution argued that the evidence presented by the defense, particularly the photos of the text messages in which the victim denied having sex with Brown, lacked context.
The teenager testified that he was somewhat of an outcast at Nathanael Greene Academy and that he was bullied after classmates learned of the allegations, which made him want to deny them.
Prosecutors also brought in Alicia Chandler, an expert witness on child sexual abuse disclosures. She said that victims, especially when they are male, often delay disclosing sexual abuse or deny it even if there is evidence.
The dual sex crime scandal was so dramatic that it forced Nathanael Greene Academy (pictured) in Georgia to permanently close last year
The prosecution noted that the victim did not come forward with the accusations against Brown and that it was another teacher who overheard students discussing the allegations who reported them.
In cases where a victim did not directly disclose their abuse, 'Statistically, there's an average of 72% chance that they will deny it,' Chandler said, per 11Alive.
The prosecution rested its case on Wednesday, and Brown declined to testify in her own defense.
The defense is expected to present its closing arguments on Thursday morning, after which the case will be handed over to the jury for deliberation around midday, barring any unexpected delays.
