A former prep school teacher was sentenced Tuesday to four to 15 years in prison after admitting she had sex with a 16-year-old male student she was tutoring and filmed the encounters.
Jocelyn Sanroman, 27, of Pontiac, pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Oakland County Circuit Judge Cheryl Matthews imposed the sentence in court Tuesday and ordered Sanroman to register as a sex offender for life upon her release.
The incidents occurred in 2023 while Sanroman taught at Oakside Prep Academy, a charter school in Waterford Township, about 30 miles northwest of Detroit. She tutored the student at his home, where the sexual encounters took place, authorities said.
Sanroman was arrested after she confided in a colleague nearly a year ago about the relationship, prompting the colleague to report it to school officials and police.
During sentencing, Matthews described the behavior as serious risk-taking that took advantage of a minor.
“This is serious risk-taking behavior, taking advantage of a minor and videotaping,” the judge said. “You’re having sex with a minor at his home, right? And it’s just disgusting.”
When the judge asked Sanroman what she was thinking, she replied, “Not my best thinking.”
Sanroman’s attorney told the court his client made “a tremendous error of judgment” and was dealing with unaddressed mental health issues. He said she was working to become a better person.
A statement from the victim’s mother, read in court by a prosecutor, detailed the emotional toll on her son.
“I have watched my son change. He has become withdrawn and avoids people because of the fear and attention the situation has created,” the statement said. “I had pulled him out of school to place him into online schooling. His normal life, his education, his routine, and his sense of security was taken.”
The case drew attention after Sanroman’s guilty plea earlier this year. She remains in custody pending transfer to state prison.
