A Melbourne high school teacher will likely face jail for having sex with a student.
Wesley Ellis, 37, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to sexual penetration of a 16 or 17-year-old child.
Ellis and the student had sex in hotels or his car on 12 occasions in 2015, the Victorian County Court heard.
An emotional and sexual relationship developed between the pair after Ellis gave the student his mobile number and they began texting each other.
Ellis booked hotel rooms and drove the girl to secluded car parks near Melbourne airport so they could have sex, which is where they were caught by Australian Federal Police officers in November.
Both lied to the AFP about the girl's age and how they knew each other, said crown prosecutor Bruce Nibbs.
The matter was referred to Victoria Police and they interviewed Ellis.
"Ellis said it was his fault and said 'I crossed the line'," said Mr Nibbs.
The student told police Ellis would book hotel rooms at the Grand Hyatt for them, and described him as the "romantic type".
"I feel that throughout this affair, although he was aware of the consequences, he was willing to drag it on for as long as possible because he wanted to make it work somehow," she said.
After the relationship began, Ellis would pick up the teen in his car, wait for her to change out of her school uniform, and take her to high-end hotels or restaurants.
"I was all dressed up and I didn't look underage or anything," she told authorities.
Defence barrister Ian Hill QC said the offending occurred at a time when the 37-year-old was going through marital problems.
"He thought he was in love with her," said Mr Hill.
The teacher had a "deluded fantasy" that he could maintain the relationship with the student, his barrister says.
In a character reference to the court, Ellis' wife said her husband is a good man, and described his offending as "out of character".
The teen's family say they are worried about her emotional stability and fear for her future relationships.
Defence is pushing for a short term of imprisonment and a community corrections order, but prosecutors say imprisonment is the only option.
Ellis will be sentenced later in August.
