The faces have been purposely obscured in this image of a male companion, left, with teacher, right, who cannot be identified, after a hearing in her trial for sexual exploitation of a student. (CBC)

A former private school teacher in Burnaby, B.C., has been sentenced to six months in jail for what the judge in the case called the "abhorrent" sexual exploitation of one of her male students.

The sentence — which included two years' probation and a ban on contact with males between the ages of 14 and 18 — was meant to send a very clear statement, provincial court Judge Jocelyn Palmer said.

The teacher had pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation, an offence that carries a 45-day mandatory minimum sentence. Her lawyer had asked for a 90-day term to be served on weekends so the woman could continue to care for her two young children.

The court was told in earlier hearings that while a drama teacher at the Burnaby private school in 2007, the woman developed a sexual relationship with a male student, 17, that led to oral sex and intercourse.

The teacher not only breached the boundaries between teacher and student by instigating the relationship but also violated his trust further by gossiping about the act after the fact with other students, Palmer said Friday.

The judge turned down the Crown's request that the teacher's name be added to the sexual offender registry.

A ban was issued on the publication of the names of the student, the teacher and the school involved.