Former teacher's aide admitted to having sex with multiple underage boys, bribing minor with alcohol and oral sex​

A former Kentucky teacher's aide admitted that she had sex with "multiple" teenage boys at the same time while working at an elementary school.

Ellen Phillips, 38, pleaded guilty to attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual conduct in federal court in Lexington on Friday. Phillips faces a minimum of 10 years behind bars and a maximum of life in prison.

Phillips engaged in sexual activity with multiple minors at the same time while working as a teacher's aide, according to her plea. The alleged sexual assaults occurred in Boyle, Garrard, and Rockcastle counties. The victims ranged from 14 to 16 years old, according to the plea agreement.

She purportedly utilized social media to contact minors for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. Phillips reportedly communicated with her victims through Facebook, Snapchat, and text messages.

Phillips — formerly known as Ellen Shell — allegedly admitted to repeatedly attempting to convince a 15-year-old boy to sneak out of his house to meet up for sex on Dec. 22, 2022.

Prosecutors claimed she used Facebook to try to get him to leave his house. When the boy said he couldn't leave his house, she reportedly offered him alcohol and oral sex to lure him to sneak out. She also allegedly offered the minor excuses to tell his mother so that he could leave his house, according to prosecutors.

The minor did not meet up with the teacher's aide on that night.

A mother of one of the victims said, "These boys are not aware of the laws that protect them and would not come forward because they thought they would be in trouble."

The anonymous mother claimed that her son said the teacher's aide "brought them alcohol three to four times."

"I can’t wrap my mind around the extent of what she’s done," she added.

Phillips was arrested in April 2023 after two minors — both aged 16 — came forward to accuse her of raping them on three separate occasions between July 6 and Aug. 15, 2022.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement, "The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse."

Phillips is scheduled to be sentenced on April 26.

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