A former special education teacher in Connecticut is facing several years behind bars after she admitted having sex with students — including one romp inside a restaurant’s electrical room.
Laura Calladio Ramos, 32, of Milford, pleaded no contest on Monday to two counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of violating a protective order before Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin, who said he intends to sentence her to a maximum of five years in prison in late January. She could have faced up to 25 years if convicted on those charges during a trial, the Connecticut Post reported.
Ramos, who resigned from her position at Central High School in Bridgeport following her arrest, was charged with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old special education student for four months in early 2017.
She was also charged with sexually assaulting a second student on multiple occasions, including at a restaurant in Shelton, where a student told police they had sex in the eatery’s electrical room after Ramos told him her husband no longer wanted to have sex with her.
The student also told police he later received a text from Ramos — whose husband divorced her earlier this year and gained custody of their 2-year-old son — saying it was the best sex she ever had.
Police said Ramos admitted to detectives that she had sex with the 18-year-old student a “handful of times” beginning in December 2016. The trysts, which mostly occurred in her car, took place until April 2017, she told investigators.
Prior to submitting her plea Monday, Ramos told Devlin that prosecutors “probably” had sufficient evidence to prove the charges against her, including the violation of a protective order stemming from her June 22 arrest when a cop in Waterford spotted her talking on a cellphone while driving.
Officers then realized that one of Ramos’ alleged victims was in the car with her at the time as they drove to the beach. During a court appearance in July, Devlin addressed the allegations in court, telling Ramos: “Honestly, what is going on here? You were going to the beach with a boy who was a subject of your case. That is completely reckless.”
Ramos, who remains free on bond, declined to comment as she left the courthouse, the Connecticut Post reported. Her attorney, Edward Gavin, said he intends to ask for a more lenient sentence at Ramos’ sentencing hearing on Jan. 25.
“We looked forward to resolving this very difficult case,” Gavin told the newspaper. “The court is giving us the opportunity to address an appropriate sentence and we will do so at the sentencing in January.”