Tayla Brailey’s alleged words to a student before being accused of sexual misconduct

A physical education teacher accused of sexually abusing a 17-year-old student allegedly told the teenager not to tell anyone, a court has heard.

Tayla Lee Brailey, 30, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday after being charged with allegedly sexually touching a person in special care, sexual intercourse with a person in special care and aggravated sexual assault.

She was arrested on Tuesday afternoon at a high school in south-west Sydney.

Via video link from Amber Laurel Correctional Centre, Brailey, dressed in grey sweatpants and a hooded sweatshirt, sat silently and stared at the floor as her lawyer filed a request for bail.

Her parents sat in the courtroom, sometimes emotional, while her husband, whom she married in September last year, remained in the lobby.

The prosecution, which opposed bail, argued that the case against Brailey was “strong” as she had made admissions to police and added that custody was necessary to prevent witness interference.

The prosecutor also told the court that Brailey had admitted to speaking to two other students, in addition to the alleged victim, on social media, that there was CCTV related to one of the charges and that evidence of communication was found on his phone and that of the alleged victim.

The prosecution also made a last-ditch attempt to obtain a gag order to prohibit the publication of his name, the location of the school or any witnesses, arguing that an eight-week interim order was necessary to avoid any conflict with ongoing police investigations.

The request was rejected by media outlets The Daily Telegraph and Sydney Morning Herald, which argued that police had already released key details in a press release on Wednesday morning and that “the secret was already out”.

Following a judicial recess, the prosecution filed a watered-down application proposing to remove the school’s location, however, Judge Imad Abdul-Karim dismissed their proposal, ruling that current laws overseeing reporting were sufficiently restrictive.

Brailey’s attorney, Patrick Schmidt, acknowledged the case was strong but argued any risk could be mitigated with strict bail conditions.

He argued that his client had strong ties to his family and community, had no history of violence and the alleged offences had not been carried out over an “extended period”.

In granting her bail, Judge Abdul-Karim ruled that Brailey must remain at her parents’ home and only leave the house if accompanied by one of her parents.

They must also surrender their passport, respect the curfew and not approach the school.

During intermissions, Brailey’s new husband and her parents could be seen hugging each other while everyone cried.

Outside court, his parents declined to answer questions and Schmidt told reporters they would review the evidence.

The matter is due to come back to court on October 2.

Brailey had been working for the NSW Department of Education since October 2017, after completing a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education at the University of Wollongong.

The 30-year-old got engaged to her partner in December 2021 and married in September last year.

She celebrated her hen party in Bali with friends and family, spending time at the popular Finns Beach Club, and shared several snaps on social media.

He also appeared on Channel Seven’s quiz show The 1% Club earlier this year.

The education department confirmed the teacher had been suspended without pay and that support was being provided to staff and students at the school.