It was the kind of grand romantic gesture many would dream of receiving.
Using fabric arranged across the golden sand of Myrtle Beach in the couple’s college colors of yellow and purple, Daniel Bryant spelled out the question: “Lesli, marry me?!”
The woman at the center of the surprise, then Lesli Lambeth, was flown over the beach by helicopter on a joyful day in 2013 so she could see the message from above.
She said yes.
A chic beach wedding followed, and the Bryants appeared to begin their own happily-ever-after — until last week.
That changed when Lesli, now 37 and working as a high school counselor at Orange High School in Orange County, North Carolina, was charged in connection with alleged inappropriate conduct involving two male students.
One of the alleged victims is 17 and the other is 18. Authorities accuse Lesli of sending nude images of herself to both teenagers and of requesting similar images from the younger student.
The accusations have stunned those familiar with the couple and now cast a shadow over the quiet life the Bryants had built in their hometown of Hillsborough.
Lesli and Daniel Bryant are seen here in a picture with their two sons that they shared to their social media
Daniel proposed to his wife in 2013 by spelling his proposal out on Myrtle Beach, before taking her up in a helicopter to read it
She was questioned in early June, charged on July 1 and handed herself into deputies on July 2.
She has yet to enter a plea to charges of indecent liberties as well as sexual exploitation of a minor and has not commented on them publicly.
Daniel, a vice president at the prestigious Credit Suisse investment bank, paid his wife’s $50,000 bond, court papers said.
Lesli has returned to the gorgeous $650,000 home the couple share with their two young sons.
She, Daniel and the boys once posed on its stunning wraparound veranda, wearing matching plaid pajamas for a heartwarming photoshoot.
Lesli and Daniel, who studied together at East Carolina University, may find the quintessentially southern feature very useful in the coming weeks and months as they contemplate their future.
And new allegations against Lesli uncovered by the Daily Mail will likely heap further pressure on the couple.
Lesli was questioned in early June, charged on July 1 and handed herself into deputies on July 2. She is seen here on her wedding day
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She is facing two charges of indecent liberties and another of second degree exploitation of a minor, according to court records
The couple live inside a $650,000 home in Hillsborough, North Carolina, pictured here
Orange County Sheriff’s investigators say they have proof of Lesli’s digital infidelity with three young men, in addition to the two teenage boys she allegedly groomed, a sheriff’s report seen by the Daily Mail claimed.
There is no suggestion that Lesli’s behavior with those three young men broke the law.
Nevertheless, the sheriff’s report seen by the Daily Mail said: ‘The situation created by these events brought to light that Lesli was abusing her position within the school to create inappropriate relationships with both current and former students.’
Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies say the boys and their families are supportive of criminal proceedings against Lesli.
The age of consent in North Carolina is 16, but adults in a position of authority can be charged with inappropriate relationships with youngsters aged 18 and under.
She has yet to enter a plea to charges of indecent liberties as well as sexual exploitation of a minor and has not commented on them publicly
Lesli was seen looking sullen during a recent court appearance, where she was freed on bail after the court was told of how she has no criminal history and was deemed a low flight risk.
She is due back before a judge on July 20.
Daniel Bryant answered the phone to the Daily Mail on Tuesday morning and said that neither he nor his wife wished to comment.
While innocent until proven guilty, the scandal has already derailed Lesli’s career.
She was initially suspended from her job at Orange County High School with pay, but chose to resign on June 12, a few days after handing her phone to the sheriff’s office to be examined.
It is unclear why she chose to quit.
Equally uncertain is whether the Bryants once-happy marriage can also weather the worsening strain.
