Ex-Utah Jazz dancer Amber Telford admits having sex with student

A former Utah Jazz dancer and owner of a dance school has admitted to sexual activity with one of her underage students after her husband hired a private investigator - who caught them in the act.

Amber Telford, 33, who ran the now-closed Colette's Dancing School in Taylorsville, Utah, was accused of grooming the 17-year-old boy with gifts and engaging in a sexual relationship with him. 

The mother of three would allegedly pick up the teenager - a student at her school - 'in the middle of the night' and drive him to her home, her mother's home and even a church parking lot for sex.

She also 'groomed' the unidentified boy in the lead-up to the affair by buying clothes for him - and paying for him to visit Disneyland for a dance competition, a Salt Lake County Jail report states.

 

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Guilty: Amber Telford (pictured in her mug shot), 33, has admitted to sexual activity with one of her underage dance students after her husband hired a private investigator - who caught her and the teenager in the act

 

Dance teacher: Telford (pictured, left and right, in Facebook images), who ran the now-shut Colette's Dancing School in Taylorsville, Utah, was accused of grooming the 17-year-old boy with gifts and having sex with him

On Tuesday, Telford admitted to one instance of sexual activity with a minor - a third-degree felony - in court as part of a plea deal. In exchange for her guilty plea, six identical charges were dismissed.

The suspect, who is also trained in ballet, tap, hip-hop and cheerleading, was arrested in January after her estranged husband became suspicious of her actions and hired a private investigator.

The investigator allegedly walked in on Telford engaging in sexual activity with the boy in her dance studio on November 28 last year - and caught it all on camera, according to the Deseret News.

The former Utah Valley University dance and business student was under a blanket with the teenager, with all of their clothes 'strewn about the floor', police told the New York Daily News.  

Telford was subsequently charged with seven counts of sexual activity with a minor. At the time, authorities said she had engaged in the illicit affair with the student for around five months.

On two occasions, the pair had had sex in the ex-NBA dancer's car, it was alleged.

 

'Sex sessions': The mother of three (pictured) would allegedly pick up the teenager - a student at her school - 'in the middle of the night' and drive him to her home, her mother's home and even a church parking lot for sex

 

School: Talford also 'groomed' the unidentified boy in the lead-up to the affair by buying clothes for him, a Salt Lake County Jail report on the case says. Above, Colette's Dancing School, which has since been shut down

'She started by flirting with [him] and eventually began a sexual relationship with him that occurred at her home, her mother's home and also in a vehicle belonging to Amber,' the jail report states.

According to court records, Telford, who lives in West Jordan, Utah, filed for divorce from her husband in September. This was around the time that police say she began her affair with the boy.

On her Facebook page, the dance instructor appears to have three young sons - the youngest of whom is only two years old. She lists herself as a 'former NuSkin Jazz Dancer at Utah Jazz'.

On Colette's Dancing School's website, Telford is described as a former UVU Dance Team Member and Utah Jazz dancer who 'performed in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games', held in Salt Lake City.

 

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Plea: On Tuesday, Telford (pictured, left and right, in Facebook images) admitted to one instance of sexual activity with a minor as part of a plea deal. In exchange for her plea, six identical charges were dismissed

NBA dancers: On Colette's Dancing School's website, Telford is described as a former Utah Jazz dancer (file picture: Telford is not shown) who 'performed in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games', held in Salt Lake City

She apparently 'continued her training in New York City at Broadway Dance Center summer program', and 'toured nationally with the National Dance Alliance teaching summer camps'.

She is also said to be 'a proud mother of three, and a proud teacher'.

'It brings her such joy to see her dancers excel in dance and life,' the website states.

The dance school has since been shut down. The business is being run under new owners. 

In Utah, the age of consent for women is 16, while for men it is 18. No person under the age of 18, male or female, can legally consent to sex with someone more than 10 years older than them. 

Telford will be sentenced on August 18.