Riverland teacher Renee Underwood to be sentenced for making a student amenable to sexual activity

A teacher from country SA who groomed a student she was tutoring received a text the morning of her court appearance saying “karma’s coming dog”.

A schoolteacher who significantly breached the trust of a student by grooming him for sex will learn her fate next month.

Renee Jade Underwood, 34, was in a “dark place” when she took advantage of her position and tutored the victim to get close to him.

Riverland teacher Renee Underwood will be sentenced next month for making a child amenable to sexual activity. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Brenton Edwards

Amy Fisher, prosecuting, told the court that Underwood was teaching at a Riverland school when she met the student.

“It involves a serious, deliberate and protracted breach of trust over a period of a month – the victim trusted the defendant and did rely on her to help him with tutoring,” she said.

The victim, who is an aspiring medical student, was groomed between July and August, last year.

“That’s something the defendant knew and … exploited to get close to him,” Ms Fisher said.

“It is clear that this offending has had a profound impact on the victim and his family.”

Ms Fisher pushed for an immediate jail term for Underwood, saying the victim now suffers anxiety and trust issues as a result of the offending.

Underwood, of Stepney, had previously pleaded guilty to communicating to make a child amenable to sexual activity.

Jane Abbey, for Underwood, told the court she was abusing alcohol and struggling with past traumas during the time of the offending.

“She feels incredible remorse, she could not be more sorry,” she said.

“There is no excuse for those breaches, however there is that context of the dark place she was in.

“She crossed boundaries, she abused the trust of not only the complainant but his parents.”

The court heard Underwood, who is a mother to a three-year-old daughter, is no longer able to teach.

She is now working as a chef and has moved out of the Riverland area.

Underwood read out a letter of apology to the court, saying she takes full responsibility for her actions.

“I’m sorry for the pain and humiliation he (the victim) has endured,” she said.

“I’m sorry that I broke the trust you placed in me and took advantage of the trust placed in me and I’m disgusted that I broke that trust.

“I was in a very dark place in my life and how I dealt with that was inexcusable.”

Ms Abbey told the court that Underwood had received a text this morning from an unknown number saying “karma’s coming dog”.

Judge Jane Schammer will sentence Underwood next month.