The Brighton High School teacher under investigation for an alleged affair with one of her male students appeared in Larimer County Court Friday morning and was ordered not to have contact with anyone under the age of 18.

Carrie McCandless was also ordered not to speak to or have contact with the alleged victim, a 17-year-old boy who is under a mandatory protection order.

Her preliminary hearing was set for Jan. 22.

Her attorneys asked if she could leave town over the holidays and the judge granted that request.

The former Brighton Charter High School teacher, who is accused of sexually assaulting one of her students, carried on a romance with the student, the arrest affidavit said.

Carrie McCandless, 29, was fired from the charter school where her husband is the principal. She has been charged with sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

An arrest affidavit alleges that McCandless and the 17-year-old student exchanged 76 text messages in one day and that she provided alcohol to him while on a field trip to Estes Park in October.

The affidavit said McCandless and the boy began text messaging each other before the field trip. In one of the text messages, the boy wrote that he was cold and she responded, "Just pretend you're here sweating with me."

The affidavit also said McCandless told the boy she was having problems in her marriage and that the two professed their love to each other.