CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Bedford alternative school principal who sexually abused a 17-year-old student and targeted female students who took an interest in the boy avoided jail time.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Stuart Friedman sentenced 40-year-old Courtney Alfred to two years of probation. Alfred, who pleaded guilty July 17 to four counts of felony sexual battery, faced up to 20 years in prison.

She will be required to register as a sex offender every 90 days for the rest of her life, turn over her teacher's license and undergo sex-offender counseling.

Alfred could be sentenced to four years in prison if she violates any term of her probation.

Friedman invoked powerful figures who have been accused of sexual abuse, including New York film executive Harvey Weinstein, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and "the President of the United States."

Friedman called Alfred's actions "disturbing," but he cited Alfred's lack of any prior criminal history and no statements that Alfred's actions left any prolonged serious injuries on the boy when he imposed the sentence.

"I suspect that incidents like these, that used to be laughed off, do have an impact on the victim," Friedman said. "But I'm not certain that it would be appropriate at this point, given your lack of any significant history, to order you into prison at this time."

Alfred, who cried throughout much of the hearing, apologized to the boy and his family, her husband and children, and to the community for her actions.

Bedford police arrested her in late March after a student at Education Alternatives came forward and showed officers a cellphone video of the two having sex, according to police. Investigators obtained a search warrant and matched one of Alfred's tattoos to one on the woman seen in the video, police said.

An investigation uncovered several sexual encounters between Alfred and the student during the 2016-17 school year that took place in Alfred's office, in her van, at her home and at two motels, according to court records.

Alfred singled out the 17-year-old student and isolated him, gave him money and gifts, used a school credit card to put him up in a hotel and eventually moved him into her home, Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Aqueelah Jordan told Friedman. She also isolated girl students who took an interest in the boy and had them transferred to other schools, Jordan said.

Education Alternatives, a non-profit organization that its website says provides education to at-risk youth, placed Alfred on administrative leave after learning of the allegations against her. She resigned from the school shortly after she was arrested.

The boy's mother told Friedman that her son was "going through a whole lot" because of the abuse, and said that Alfred denied the relationship when the mother first confronted her.

"I don't feel like she's sorry for what she did," the mother said. "Not at all."

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