Nearly eight months after being arrested on 10 felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, Genise Schu was back in Santa Barbara County Superior Court on Monday to receive her sentencing.

Schu, who pleaded no contest on all charges stemming from a sexual relationship spanning seven years with the victim — a former Santa Barbara High School student who was 20 years old at the time of her arrest — was sentenced to six years in state prison.

Before the sentence was delivered by Judge Frank Ochoa, the victim’s mother delivered an emotional statement about the impact of Schu’s actions on both of their families.

“As his mother, the sense of betrayal I feel towards this woman is beyond anything I could have imagined,” she said tearfully. “Our children were best friends — both our son and our daughter — with her children. How could she do this not only to our children, but also to her own children? Although we support this plea today, in my mind, there is no sentence severe enough for what she did to our son and our family.”

According to the victim’s statements to law enforcement officials, and Schu’s corroboration, the victim was friends with Schu’s children and regularly slept over at the Schu residence. When the victim was 13 years old, Schu had sexual intercourse with the boy, an act that reoccurred many times over the next several years.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Joyce Dudley called the case heart-wrenching, adding that after more than 50 interviews with the victim, she learned that he supported the probation office’s sentencing recommendation.

Defense attorney Steve Baylash said Schu denied accusations that she had allowed children to drink alcohol at her house. The victim’s family members allege that she did, and that she used alcohol and pornography to entice the young boy into having sex with her.

“It was never about sex,” the victim’s mother said in court. “It was about power.”

Baylash said that had Schu gone to trial and lost, she faced the possibility of a much longer sentence, as well as a requirement that she be listed on the sex offender registry for life. According to the terms of her sentencing, she will have to register for six years.

“It’s a sad case,” said Baylash, adding that the relationship had continued until after the victim reached legal age.

Schu has agreed to report to authorities on April 12 to begin serving her prison term.

— Noozhawk staff writer Ben Preston can be reached at bpreston@noozhawk.com.