It appears a plea agreement will allow a former school board member accused of sexual assault in Colorado Springs to avoid prison time.

Colorado Springs criminal defense lawyers recognize this as an example of how aggressive negotiation at the plea bargaining stage can work in your favor if you’re charged with a sex crime.

According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, the 38-year-old teacher was accused of sexual assault of a 17-year-old student.

She reportedly pleaded guilty to sexual assault of that student, in exchange for a deal extended by prosecutors to drop charges against her for reportedly sending a sexually explicit text message to another teen, who was 14.

Her case, which was handled in the 4th Judicial Circuit, was slated for two trials that were to be held consecutively on the two separate incidents.

The defendant was reportedly a school board treasurer for the Ellicott School District. She left that post in October of last year, following her arrest. According to sheriff’s deputies, she reportedly sent a text message containing sexual content to a friend of her son’s.

She had reportedly been contacting the boy since he accompanied her, her sons and her husband on a camping trip. Prosecutors say she asked for the boy’s phone number so that she could send him photos of the trip. Instead, she told him she wanted him to sneak out of his house so he could meet her, told him she “wanted” him and other inappropriate messages. She then told the boy he couldn’t tell anyone because she would lose her family.

As it turned out, it was the teen’s sister who discovered the messages, after checking his phone when becoming suspicious of a hug between the two.

When that accusation became public, a man came forward, alleging to have had a sexual relationship with the former board member when he was just 17. At that time, he reportedly worked for her as a babysitter for her children.

While the defendant will avoid prison time, the circumstances of the plea deal will prevent her from having physical contact with any child under the age of 18, including her own. However, she will be allowed to speak to her children over the phone.

Additionally, she faces between 10 years to life of sex-offender parole.