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BOUNTIFUL -- A mother is speaking out against a high school drama teacher who faces jail time for having sex with a student.
Jeremy Flygare, 33, the former Northridge High School teacher pleaded guilty for aggravated sex abuse, and is set for his sentencing Friday after allegedly being involved in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student.
"I hope he serves his time in prison for a long time," said the mother of the teenager victim, who asked not to be identified.
The mother described Flygare as a drama teacher that everyone loved at Northridge, which made it hard for her to believe that he could be involved in a sexual relationship with her daughter.
"Everyone loves him," the mother said. "That's why everyone turned their backs to my daughter, because everyone likes him."
The mother said her daughter was ostracized by fellow students for coming forward with the accusations.
Because Flygare was considered a mentor to the teenager, he easily gained the girl's trust, the mother said. However, it became clear something was wrong when the mother found Flygare with her daughter alone, inside their home.
In September, Flygare pleaded guilty on two felony counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor. The mother said Flygare and her daughter had sexual relations more than a dozen times.
The ordeal has been painful for her daughter, who left the drama club and gave up on her passion for acting.
Now, the mother is hoping Friday's sentencing at the Bountiful courthouse will bring some kind of closure after Flygare "crushed" her daughter's dream.
"Can you imagine a person who is not able to follow her dream?" the mother said. "We are a strong family, and we are going to move forward. He had time to groom my daughter for a long time. She used to call him her mentor."
Depending on the outcome of the sentencing Friday, Flygare could face up to 30 years in prison. He was originally charged with three counts of rape, but the charges were later reduced to two counts of aggravated sex abuse in exchange for a guilty plea.
Email: manderson@ksl.com
