SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A woman who taught at a Sacramento high school pleaded guilty Wednesday to raping a 16-year-old student.

Margaret de Barraicua was charged with statutory rape after four sexual encounters with a male student from McClatchy High School.

On Wednesday, Barraicua hurried out of a Sacramento County courtroom after telling the judge she was guilty.

The prosecutor asked that de Barraicua be forced to register as a sex offender — something the judge will have to decide at sentencing. Barraicua’s defense attorney, Philip Cozens, said that under the law, that’s not required.

“If you have somebody who has one blemish on their life, there’s no reason to give this person a scarlet letter, like Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, and force her to be subject to these jeers that you would find all the time if you were a sex offender,” Cozens said.

“The people’s offer was different. This is the court’s offer,” said Deputy District Attorney Rochelle Hao. “We’ll resolve these issues at sentencing.”

De Barraicua could face up to 16 months in state prison.