A former New Jersey high school teacher who admitted to sexually assaulting two students was sentenced to 10 years in prison this week, as disturbing new details emerged about the long-term emotional damage prosecutors say she inflicted on her victims.
Julie Rizzitello, 37, a former English teacher at Wall Township High School, appeared in Monmouth County court Wednesday to be sentenced after pleading guilty last year to two counts of second-degree sexual assault. Prosecutors said the abuse spanned years and involved manipulation, secrecy, and repeated sexual encounters with students.
During the hearing, it was revealed that Rizzitello became pregnant by one of the teens she was accused of grooming. According to court statements reported by Jersey Shore Online, she allegedly convinced the student to have unprotected sex with her on his birthday. Afterward, she told him she was pregnant and later disclosed she had terminated the pregnancy — something the judge said had left the teen emotionally shattered.
Monmouth County Judge Jill Grace O’Malley described the impact as devastating, noting the student not only had to cope with being groomed and abused by a trusted teacher, but also struggled with the emotional fallout of learning about the pregnancy and abortion. The judge said the situation added another layer of trauma to an already serious betrayal.
Prosecutors said Rizzitello’s conduct began in 2017 when she started pursuing the first victim while he was still a freshman. Court records indicate she engaged him in inappropriate conversations, including telling him she fantasized about having sex with him, before the relationship escalated into repeated sexual encounters throughout 2017 and 2018.
Judge O’Malley reportedly condemned Rizzitello’s behavior as classic predatory grooming. She told the court the case reflected a familiar pattern of manipulation and exploitation, calling Rizzitello a “standard sexual predator” and stressing that her actions were not unusual in terms of how sexual abusers target minors.
Rizzitello also admitted to sexually abusing a second student — an 18-year-old — in early 2024, prosecutors said. Authorities stated she engaged in sexual activity with both victims at multiple locations, including her home, parking lots, and even her family-owned bagel shop where the teens worked.
The court hearing became tense at times, with Rizzitello reportedly interrupting proceedings and shaking her head as the judge described her conduct as grooming. At one point, Judge O’Malley reportedly snapped at her to stop reacting and accept the facts of the case.
Prosecutors also alleged that after Rizzitello was arrested in July 2024, she contacted both victims and urged them to delete potential evidence from their phones and devices.
Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago emphasized that the crimes were not isolated incidents or simple lapses in judgment. In a statement, he described the abuse as “textbook grooming,” involving isolation, manipulation, and control for Rizzitello’s benefit. He added that the harm was made even worse because Rizzitello’s victims were students placed in her care as an educator.
With the 10-year sentence, the case comes to a close in court, but the judge and prosecutors made clear the psychological consequences for the victims may last far longer than the prison term.
