There is a bill in Massachusetts which seeks to criminalize teacher student sex when the teacher seduces a high school student over 16. Supporters of the bill, Massachusetts House Bill 1246, cite a female teacher who only lost her job when having sexual relationships with a minor between 16 and 18. Snce the current AOC is 16, students over 16 are considered fair sexual game.
While ostensibly focused on protecting high school students from predatory teachers, House Bill 1246 does much more than that. It criminalizes sex between social workers, mental health practitioners and clients, and college/university professors and students. Most of these are considered legal adults. The full text of this bill is below:
Section 21A. Any person who is employed by a public or private school or institution of higher learning, the department of youth services, the department of social services, the department of mental health, the department of mental retardation or any private institution providing services to clients of such departments and who in the course of such employment or contract with a pupil or client of such departments or institutions within or outside of any facility thereof or a pupil or client under the direct custodial supervision and control of such person or another person, a pupil or client shall be deemed incapable of consent to sexual relations with such person.
For purposes of this section, sexual relations shall include intentional, inappropriate contact of a sexual nature, including, but not limited to conduct prohibited by section 22 or 24 of chapter 265 or section 2, 3, 35 or 53A of chapter 272.
Brian's Opinion
I believe that while prohibiting sex between social workers and clients or professors and students is admirable, in most cases, these relationships are between two consenting adults. While it can be argued that consent between adults can be coerced, the existing sexual harassment statutes and institutional policies, if enforced, can handle claims among adults.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Widow of NYFD fire marshal charged in his murder, then convicted, sentenced to 25 to life
(Original Post 3-22-08)
Janet Redmond-Mercereau, a Staten Island woman, was charged with 2nd degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon and tampering with physical evidence for allegedly shooting her husband to death while sleeping. The husband, Douglas Mercereau, was a NYFD fire marshal with a dozen years on the job. He was married a dozen years to Redmond-Mercereau with three daughters. The indictment came down Thursday night from the Richmond County (coterminous with Staten Island) grand jury, and Redmond-Mercereau was arrested immediately.
"She denies the allegations completely," her lawyer, Mario F. Gallucci, said Friday. "She is confident that if she is given a fair trial by Staten Islanders, that she will be acquitted of this charge."
Redmond-Mercereau, who was arraigned on the charges in an indictment unsealed Friday in state Supreme Court, faces a maximum penalty of 25 years to life if convicted on the murder charge. She entered a plea of not guilty.
Her husband, Douglas Mercereau, 38, was found in bed in their Staten Island home the morning of Dec. 2, 2007, shot three times in the head with Mercereau's service pistol. Redmond-Mercereau told investigators that she didn't hear the gunfire because she was wearing earplugs and was sleeping in another room with one of her children, who was sick.
According to the indictment, the defendant tampered with evidence found at the scene. Prosecutors alleged that she wiped traces of evidence off the Smith and Wesson pistol, removed shell casings and washed her clothing in an attempt to conceal the alleged crime.
There is no motive for the crime that prosecutors can put a finger on, and her husband's family issued a statement.
"We have patiently waited while the NYPD accumulated their evidence and completed their tests. In our hearts, we hope that a fair and just verdict is delivered swiftly, though we know that this too requires patience."
Mercereau, a 12 year veteran of the NYFD and married to his wife for 12 years, comes from a line of Huguenots (French Protestants) who settled Staten Island in the 1600s to flee persecution from Catholic France. They had separated, but reconciled their marriage before the shooting.
(Update 7-4-09) Redmond Mercereau was sentenced to 25 years to life for killing her husband in a Staten Island courtroom Thursday. On May 21, the wife of fire marshal Doug Mercereau was convicted after 3 1/2 days of deliberation, mostly spent 9-3 in favor of conviction.
The killer was first implicated when spent shell casings from the murder were found in the basement of their home. Because Mercereau was a weapons instructor, prosecutors sucessfully argued that the bullet fired through an archery target was a test shot. The DA, Daniel M. Donovan also sucessfully argued that the reason no blood was found on the weapon and the clothes worn during the murder was because Mrs. Redmond Mercereau washed her clothes and the murder weapon.
The killer's behavior after the murder aroused suspicion. The motive was because Mrs. Redmond-Mercereau was upset by her husband's criticism of her weight and housekeeping, according to prosecutors.
Ms. Redmond-Mercereau's behavior in the weeks following her husband's death -- but prior to her arrest -- earned her the nickname the "Merry Widow": She chopped down a favorite oak tree of her husband's a month after he was killed, and while under a cloud of suspicion in his death the five-foot-three, 240-pound woman posed for photographers and said she felt "like a model."
Fire Department Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said, "this was a terrible tragedy, especially for the Mercereaus' children, and our thoughts and prayers are with them."
Justice Robert J. Collini also invoked the children when passing sentence.
"You stole away the father of your two little girls...In the final analysis, you stole away their own mother, too."
The victim's sister, Betsy Gallo, said outside the courthouse, "Yes, it's absolutely closure...Doug appreciated justice. This is a just day."
Mrs. Redmond-Mercereau said nothing during her sentencing, but her attorneys plan to appeal.
Janet Redmond-Mercereau, a Staten Island woman, was charged with 2nd degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon and tampering with physical evidence for allegedly shooting her husband to death while sleeping. The husband, Douglas Mercereau, was a NYFD fire marshal with a dozen years on the job. He was married a dozen years to Redmond-Mercereau with three daughters. The indictment came down Thursday night from the Richmond County (coterminous with Staten Island) grand jury, and Redmond-Mercereau was arrested immediately.
"She denies the allegations completely," her lawyer, Mario F. Gallucci, said Friday. "She is confident that if she is given a fair trial by Staten Islanders, that she will be acquitted of this charge."
Redmond-Mercereau, who was arraigned on the charges in an indictment unsealed Friday in state Supreme Court, faces a maximum penalty of 25 years to life if convicted on the murder charge. She entered a plea of not guilty.
Her husband, Douglas Mercereau, 38, was found in bed in their Staten Island home the morning of Dec. 2, 2007, shot three times in the head with Mercereau's service pistol. Redmond-Mercereau told investigators that she didn't hear the gunfire because she was wearing earplugs and was sleeping in another room with one of her children, who was sick.
According to the indictment, the defendant tampered with evidence found at the scene. Prosecutors alleged that she wiped traces of evidence off the Smith and Wesson pistol, removed shell casings and washed her clothing in an attempt to conceal the alleged crime.
There is no motive for the crime that prosecutors can put a finger on, and her husband's family issued a statement.
"We have patiently waited while the NYPD accumulated their evidence and completed their tests. In our hearts, we hope that a fair and just verdict is delivered swiftly, though we know that this too requires patience."
Mercereau, a 12 year veteran of the NYFD and married to his wife for 12 years, comes from a line of Huguenots (French Protestants) who settled Staten Island in the 1600s to flee persecution from Catholic France. They had separated, but reconciled their marriage before the shooting.
(Update 7-4-09) Redmond Mercereau was sentenced to 25 years to life for killing her husband in a Staten Island courtroom Thursday. On May 21, the wife of fire marshal Doug Mercereau was convicted after 3 1/2 days of deliberation, mostly spent 9-3 in favor of conviction.
The killer was first implicated when spent shell casings from the murder were found in the basement of their home. Because Mercereau was a weapons instructor, prosecutors sucessfully argued that the bullet fired through an archery target was a test shot. The DA, Daniel M. Donovan also sucessfully argued that the reason no blood was found on the weapon and the clothes worn during the murder was because Mrs. Redmond Mercereau washed her clothes and the murder weapon.
The killer's behavior after the murder aroused suspicion. The motive was because Mrs. Redmond-Mercereau was upset by her husband's criticism of her weight and housekeeping, according to prosecutors.
Ms. Redmond-Mercereau's behavior in the weeks following her husband's death -- but prior to her arrest -- earned her the nickname the "Merry Widow": She chopped down a favorite oak tree of her husband's a month after he was killed, and while under a cloud of suspicion in his death the five-foot-three, 240-pound woman posed for photographers and said she felt "like a model."
Fire Department Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said, "this was a terrible tragedy, especially for the Mercereaus' children, and our thoughts and prayers are with them."
Justice Robert J. Collini also invoked the children when passing sentence.
"You stole away the father of your two little girls...In the final analysis, you stole away their own mother, too."
The victim's sister, Betsy Gallo, said outside the courthouse, "Yes, it's absolutely closure...Doug appreciated justice. This is a just day."
Mrs. Redmond-Mercereau said nothing during her sentencing, but her attorneys plan to appeal.
Friday, July 3, 2009
British wife jailed for 4 months for crying rape on husband
By Sam Greenhill [Daily Mail (UK)]
A lying mother who cried rape to get her estranged husband 'removed from her life' was jailed for four months yesterday.
Michaela Lodge's 'wicked' allegation against innocent Martin Lodge resulted in him spending 12 hours in a cell. Only after three months did the 45-year-old mother-of-three confess she had made it all up so she could pursue an affair. Judge Rodger Hayward Smith said her 'calculated' behaviour had done a great disservice to real rape victims'.
Sentencing Lodge, who admitted perverting the course of justice, he said: 'It was a wicked allegation that was pre-planned to hasten his departure from your life.'
Lodge, of Braintree, Essex, was arrested after finally confessing she had lied in a letter of apology to Mr Lodge begging his forgiveness. Last night her 54-year-old husband told the Mail being arrested left him 'totally humiliated' but that his wife, who he supported in court, had 'learned her lesson'.
Prosecutor Andrew Jackson told Chelmsford Crown Court Mr Lodge's ordeal began last November when his wife claimed he had raped her in the house they continued to share, even though they were estranged. Essex Police started a rape investigation and held Mr Lodge in custody for 12 hours and 49 minutes. He was released on bail after insisting he had gone to bed with his wife, but only at her invitation.
Two months later Lodge made a witness statement in which she said she did not want her husband prosecuted - but continued to maintain he had raped her. However in February she passed a letter to her husband, via her son Daniel, admitting the lie. It had 'a kiss underneath' his name on the envelope, the court heard. The letter read: 'I am so sorry about what I have done to you. My head was and is all over the place.
"I cannot deal with this any more, I need to put it right. When we went to bed we both wanted to make love and the fact is I lied to police about you raping me. I will say goodbye and hope one day you will be able to forgive me. I am so sorry."
When arrested for making the false allegation, Lodge admitted she had lied. Mr Lodge was never charged.
Marc Brown, defending, insisted Lodge had not acted out of malice or revenge and claimed she started having regrets almost immediately. He said: 'It was born out of a confused desire to remove him from the picture. She accepts it was an outright lie. She did what she did without thinking of the consequences.'
Lodge, whose three grown-up children are from a previous marriage, boasts on the Friends Reunited website that she loves 'nights in with a nice bottle of wine' and 'going out with my friends dancing'.Elsewhere she describes herself as 'bisexual', and has also posted photographs of herself in a short dress flashing her stocking tops.
She was jailed despite 'a magnanimous appeal for mercy' from her husband, asking the judge to spare her from prison.
Last night Mr Lodge, a warehouseman who married his wife in 1994, said: 'When the police turned up I was totally gobsmacked. I couldn't believe what was going on. It was totally humiliating. "But I really can't hold too much against her. Maybe I'm too soft - that's why I supported her in court. I think it's a very lenient sentence but I think maybe she could not have been sent to jail as I think she has learned her lesson."
A lying mother who cried rape to get her estranged husband 'removed from her life' was jailed for four months yesterday.
Michaela Lodge's 'wicked' allegation against innocent Martin Lodge resulted in him spending 12 hours in a cell. Only after three months did the 45-year-old mother-of-three confess she had made it all up so she could pursue an affair. Judge Rodger Hayward Smith said her 'calculated' behaviour had done a great disservice to real rape victims'.
Sentencing Lodge, who admitted perverting the course of justice, he said: 'It was a wicked allegation that was pre-planned to hasten his departure from your life.'
Lodge, of Braintree, Essex, was arrested after finally confessing she had lied in a letter of apology to Mr Lodge begging his forgiveness. Last night her 54-year-old husband told the Mail being arrested left him 'totally humiliated' but that his wife, who he supported in court, had 'learned her lesson'.
Prosecutor Andrew Jackson told Chelmsford Crown Court Mr Lodge's ordeal began last November when his wife claimed he had raped her in the house they continued to share, even though they were estranged. Essex Police started a rape investigation and held Mr Lodge in custody for 12 hours and 49 minutes. He was released on bail after insisting he had gone to bed with his wife, but only at her invitation.
Two months later Lodge made a witness statement in which she said she did not want her husband prosecuted - but continued to maintain he had raped her. However in February she passed a letter to her husband, via her son Daniel, admitting the lie. It had 'a kiss underneath' his name on the envelope, the court heard. The letter read: 'I am so sorry about what I have done to you. My head was and is all over the place.
"I cannot deal with this any more, I need to put it right. When we went to bed we both wanted to make love and the fact is I lied to police about you raping me. I will say goodbye and hope one day you will be able to forgive me. I am so sorry."
When arrested for making the false allegation, Lodge admitted she had lied. Mr Lodge was never charged.
Marc Brown, defending, insisted Lodge had not acted out of malice or revenge and claimed she started having regrets almost immediately. He said: 'It was born out of a confused desire to remove him from the picture. She accepts it was an outright lie. She did what she did without thinking of the consequences.'
Lodge, whose three grown-up children are from a previous marriage, boasts on the Friends Reunited website that she loves 'nights in with a nice bottle of wine' and 'going out with my friends dancing'.Elsewhere she describes herself as 'bisexual', and has also posted photographs of herself in a short dress flashing her stocking tops.
She was jailed despite 'a magnanimous appeal for mercy' from her husband, asking the judge to spare her from prison.
Last night Mr Lodge, a warehouseman who married his wife in 1994, said: 'When the police turned up I was totally gobsmacked. I couldn't believe what was going on. It was totally humiliating. "But I really can't hold too much against her. Maybe I'm too soft - that's why I supported her in court. I think it's a very lenient sentence but I think maybe she could not have been sent to jail as I think she has learned her lesson."
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Obion County, TN teacher fired due to sexual proposition towards 18 year old student
The Obion County School Board voted unanimously to fire a 24 year veteran teacher for hitting on an 18 year old student during a school sponsored trip after a 4 hour hearing Thursday night.
The incident involving the student S.C. stemmed from a convention of the Future Farmers Of America (FFA) which took place in Gatlinburg, TN. The student went out with others to eat, then was called into South Fulton High School agriculture teacher Bryant Driver's hotel room. S.C. thought that she was going to be reprimanded for smoking and brought an adult female chaperone with her. After the chaperone left, Driver, 46, instructed her to close the door and started to take about his marriage and other subjects, eventually hitting on S.C.
S.C., scared, pretended to recieve texts so she could leave the situation, and contacted her mother. The mother contacted school officials, who then confronted Driver. Driver admitted during the hearing that he began to see S.C. as a "young lady" instead of a student, but denied the sexual banter. He admitted that he tole the victim that he thought a lot about her, and “probably love[d] her, if you want to know the truth.”
The insubordination charge was the result of an incident in which Driver, while on suspension status, allegedly came to a school-sponsored Vocational Advisory Committee meeting the evening of April 2 and initially refused to leave, according to the charge letters recently presented to the board by Obion County Director of Schools David Huss, who recommended Driver be dismissed.
Driver, who had been on suspension status since April 2, had requested Thursday night’s hearing as part of the due process afforded him. He was represented by Virginia A. McCoy, an attorney with the Tennessee Education Association, while school administration was represented by attorney John Miles of Union City.
In Tennessee, teacher student sex is punishable by prison time only when the student is under 18. States such as TX, WA, OH, and NC criminally prohibit teacher/student sex at any age.
The incident involving the student S.C. stemmed from a convention of the Future Farmers Of America (FFA) which took place in Gatlinburg, TN. The student went out with others to eat, then was called into South Fulton High School agriculture teacher Bryant Driver's hotel room. S.C. thought that she was going to be reprimanded for smoking and brought an adult female chaperone with her. After the chaperone left, Driver, 46, instructed her to close the door and started to take about his marriage and other subjects, eventually hitting on S.C.
S.C., scared, pretended to recieve texts so she could leave the situation, and contacted her mother. The mother contacted school officials, who then confronted Driver. Driver admitted during the hearing that he began to see S.C. as a "young lady" instead of a student, but denied the sexual banter. He admitted that he tole the victim that he thought a lot about her, and “probably love[d] her, if you want to know the truth.”
The insubordination charge was the result of an incident in which Driver, while on suspension status, allegedly came to a school-sponsored Vocational Advisory Committee meeting the evening of April 2 and initially refused to leave, according to the charge letters recently presented to the board by Obion County Director of Schools David Huss, who recommended Driver be dismissed.
Driver, who had been on suspension status since April 2, had requested Thursday night’s hearing as part of the due process afforded him. He was represented by Virginia A. McCoy, an attorney with the Tennessee Education Association, while school administration was represented by attorney John Miles of Union City.
In Tennessee, teacher student sex is punishable by prison time only when the student is under 18. States such as TX, WA, OH, and NC criminally prohibit teacher/student sex at any age.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Jail guard sentenced to 60 days jail, sex offender restrictions after "affair"
A Missouri jail officer was ordered to undergo 5 years of probation, sex offender treatment, and 60 days in jail after a sexual relationship with an inmate turned into marriage. 29 year old Tara Hewkin, of the St. Louis suburb of Warrenton was sentenced by Circuit Judge Keith Sutherland yesterday after being convicted on March 26 in a bench trial. Sentencing was delayed to give probation officers time to prepare a report.
Hewkin began working at the jail as a corrections officer in April 2007. David Latham, 34, was one of several federal inmates being housed in the Warren County jail in the fall of 2007. On Oct. 15, 2007, jail staff found a cell phone in Latham's cell. Officers determined it belonged to Hewkin.
Hewkin admitted to police she gave Latham the phone so he could stay in touch with her. She told police she and Latham were involved in an intimate relationship. She reported that on three occasions she and Latham had sexual contact, once in the laundry room of the jail and the other times between the doors of two cell pods.
Latham was convicted on marijuana charges and sentenced to 5 years in USP Leavenworth. Besides the conviction, as a sex offender, Hewkin cannot live within 1000 feet of schools or day care centers.
Hewkin began working at the jail as a corrections officer in April 2007. David Latham, 34, was one of several federal inmates being housed in the Warren County jail in the fall of 2007. On Oct. 15, 2007, jail staff found a cell phone in Latham's cell. Officers determined it belonged to Hewkin.
Hewkin admitted to police she gave Latham the phone so he could stay in touch with her. She told police she and Latham were involved in an intimate relationship. She reported that on three occasions she and Latham had sexual contact, once in the laundry room of the jail and the other times between the doors of two cell pods.
Latham was convicted on marijuana charges and sentenced to 5 years in USP Leavenworth. Besides the conviction, as a sex offender, Hewkin cannot live within 1000 feet of schools or day care centers.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Chris Brown sentenced to community service, 150 foot buffer after plea in attack on Rihanna
From the LA Times
Chris Brown will do six months of "community labor" but no time behind bars for assaulting the pop star Rihanna under the terms of a plea agreement reached this afternoon [June 22].
The R&B singer reached a deal with prosecutors less than two hours before the scheduled start of a hearing, in which his former girlfriend was prepared to testify about the violent altercation that left her bruised, bloodied and screaming for help last February on a Hancock Park side street.
Under the agreement, Brown, 20, will serve five years' probation and take a year-long domestic violence prevention class. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg also ordered him to stay at least 50 yards away from Rihanna, 21, for the next five years.
After a lawyer for Rihanna said the singer thought the order was too severe given that they often attend the same industry functions, the judge said that at such public events Brown was required to stay only 10 yards away.
The judge said Brown can complete his sentence in his native Virginia, where he owns a home.
"I think it's commendable you took responsibility for your conduct," Schnegg told the singer.
Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, entered the courtroom through a back entrance as Brown, his mother and an entourage of eight filed out.
The pop star, wearing a short black dress and pearl necklace, listened as the judge explained the terms of the protective order. Her only words were a quick "thank you" to the judge.
Outside the courthouse, her lawyer, Donald Etra, said she "did not object" to the deal when informed of it this afternoon in the L.A. County district attorney's office."She was fully prepared to testify. She would have told the truth about what happened that night," Etra said.
A spokeswoman for the district attorney's office said the agreement was "similar to those in other cases where the defendant is charged ... with this type of felony."She noted that Brown would be required to perform about 1,400 hours of trash pickup, graffiti removal or similar tasks.
"The sentence is not an easy task," spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said.
Chris Brown will do six months of "community labor" but no time behind bars for assaulting the pop star Rihanna under the terms of a plea agreement reached this afternoon [June 22].
The R&B singer reached a deal with prosecutors less than two hours before the scheduled start of a hearing, in which his former girlfriend was prepared to testify about the violent altercation that left her bruised, bloodied and screaming for help last February on a Hancock Park side street.
Under the agreement, Brown, 20, will serve five years' probation and take a year-long domestic violence prevention class. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg also ordered him to stay at least 50 yards away from Rihanna, 21, for the next five years.
After a lawyer for Rihanna said the singer thought the order was too severe given that they often attend the same industry functions, the judge said that at such public events Brown was required to stay only 10 yards away.
The judge said Brown can complete his sentence in his native Virginia, where he owns a home.
"I think it's commendable you took responsibility for your conduct," Schnegg told the singer.
Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, entered the courtroom through a back entrance as Brown, his mother and an entourage of eight filed out.
The pop star, wearing a short black dress and pearl necklace, listened as the judge explained the terms of the protective order. Her only words were a quick "thank you" to the judge.
Outside the courthouse, her lawyer, Donald Etra, said she "did not object" to the deal when informed of it this afternoon in the L.A. County district attorney's office."She was fully prepared to testify. She would have told the truth about what happened that night," Etra said.
A spokeswoman for the district attorney's office said the agreement was "similar to those in other cases where the defendant is charged ... with this type of felony."She noted that Brown would be required to perform about 1,400 hours of trash pickup, graffiti removal or similar tasks.
"The sentence is not an easy task," spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Former Boise, ID teacher gets 6 months in jail, 10 years probation for sex with student
Michelle Farley, a married mother of a 5 year old boy, was sentenced to up to 6 months in jail, a $2000 fine, and sex offender treatment and registration for having a relationship with a 17 year old boy while she taught philosophy at Boise, ID's Borah High School. The jail term may be shortened once Farley completes a "thinking errors" course at the Ada County Jail, where she is scheduled to be held. Fourth District Judge Timothy Hansen accepted Farley's plea agreement Friday.
The sentence also includes 10 years probation, a prohibition on being near school property, which is why attorney Chuck Peterson wanted a sentence that would allow Farley to take her 5 year old son to kindergarten this fall.
"I want to apologize to (the teen) and his family for the embarrassment and hurt I caused. It hurts me that I have hurt so many people because what I did was so wrong."
Ada County prosecutors say [the victim] was in Farley's psychology class in the 2008/2009 school year when the two began their sexual relationship. Court records say the boy told police he had as many as 15 sexual encounters with Farley between May and Oct. 30.
Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Fafa Alidjani told Hansen that Farley displayed "classic grooming behavior," giving him attention and gifts before the relationship got sexual.
Alidjani also said the teen suffered humiliation once news of Farley's arrest got out, since many students knew who he was - including students at other schools who watched sporting events he participated in.
But Peterson said the teen turned 18 in October and was a willing participant in the relationship.
"She was attracted to a younger man," Peterson said. "It is not a case of sexual abuse of an adolescent."
Peterson also said that the teen sought out the relationship to become "a legend," "but he didn't become a legend. He became a pariah," Peterson said. "He brought the whole thing down on his head." He also showed her psychosexual evaluation showed that she was a low risk to reoffend.
However, Judge Hansen explained that the victim was too young to make informed decisions on sex with adults. Hansen also made sure that Farley recognized she was a sex offender.
"I want to emphasize for the record, ma'am, you are a sexual offender," Hansen said. "You will be a sex offender under Idaho law."
The sentence also includes 10 years probation, a prohibition on being near school property, which is why attorney Chuck Peterson wanted a sentence that would allow Farley to take her 5 year old son to kindergarten this fall.
"I want to apologize to (the teen) and his family for the embarrassment and hurt I caused. It hurts me that I have hurt so many people because what I did was so wrong."
Ada County prosecutors say [the victim] was in Farley's psychology class in the 2008/2009 school year when the two began their sexual relationship. Court records say the boy told police he had as many as 15 sexual encounters with Farley between May and Oct. 30.
Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Fafa Alidjani told Hansen that Farley displayed "classic grooming behavior," giving him attention and gifts before the relationship got sexual.
Alidjani also said the teen suffered humiliation once news of Farley's arrest got out, since many students knew who he was - including students at other schools who watched sporting events he participated in.
But Peterson said the teen turned 18 in October and was a willing participant in the relationship.
"She was attracted to a younger man," Peterson said. "It is not a case of sexual abuse of an adolescent."
Peterson also said that the teen sought out the relationship to become "a legend," "but he didn't become a legend. He became a pariah," Peterson said. "He brought the whole thing down on his head." He also showed her psychosexual evaluation showed that she was a low risk to reoffend.
However, Judge Hansen explained that the victim was too young to make informed decisions on sex with adults. Hansen also made sure that Farley recognized she was a sex offender.
"I want to emphasize for the record, ma'am, you are a sexual offender," Hansen said. "You will be a sex offender under Idaho law."
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Black Canadian prosecutor accuses Toronto police of sexually motivated strip search
Betsy Powell
COURTS BUREAU[Toronto Star]
A Crown attorney is asking a Superior Court judge to lay sexual assault charges against two Toronto police officers who "forced him to submit to an unlawful strip search," according to court documents.
The prosecutor, identified on the court docket yesterday as R.S., is appealing a decision by a justice of the peace last year not to charge the officers in connection with the Oct. 6, 2007, incident.
The allegation raises "implications for police as it relates to their long impugned practice of conducting strip searches on short-term detainees without the requisite lawful grounds," according to court documents filed by Donald McLeod, the lawyer representing R.S.
The justice of the peace did, however, approve assault charges against the two arresting officers after R.S. took the unusual step of laying charges privately. Those charges were withdrawn in March.
The 37-year-old Crown attorney, who is black, was arrested for causing a disturbance in the Entertainment District and later filed a human rights tribunal complaint alleging racism was behind his arrest. He was identified when the story became public earlier this year.
Now McLeod and Patrice Band, the lawyer representing the Crown, are requesting a publication ban on the full identify of R.S. as well as the two officers.
Justice Ian Nordheimer yesterday adjourned the matter to July 7.
The court documents submitted on behalf of R.S. say there was nothing "that could possibly justify a complete level 3 strip search."
"The applicant believed he was forced to submit to the degrading and humiliating strip search for an improper purpose – the impugned officers wanted to teach him a lesson."
During the strip search, R.S. says he was forced to "touch and manipulate his genitalia with his hands." He submits "that when assessed in the context of the relevant and controlling judicial authorities, the conduct of the impugned officers satisfies the legal elements of sexual assault."
A factum filed on behalf of the respondent says "there is no evidence that the search was conducted in circumstances of a sexual nature."
COURTS BUREAU[Toronto Star]
A Crown attorney is asking a Superior Court judge to lay sexual assault charges against two Toronto police officers who "forced him to submit to an unlawful strip search," according to court documents.
The prosecutor, identified on the court docket yesterday as R.S., is appealing a decision by a justice of the peace last year not to charge the officers in connection with the Oct. 6, 2007, incident.
The allegation raises "implications for police as it relates to their long impugned practice of conducting strip searches on short-term detainees without the requisite lawful grounds," according to court documents filed by Donald McLeod, the lawyer representing R.S.
The justice of the peace did, however, approve assault charges against the two arresting officers after R.S. took the unusual step of laying charges privately. Those charges were withdrawn in March.
The 37-year-old Crown attorney, who is black, was arrested for causing a disturbance in the Entertainment District and later filed a human rights tribunal complaint alleging racism was behind his arrest. He was identified when the story became public earlier this year.
Now McLeod and Patrice Band, the lawyer representing the Crown, are requesting a publication ban on the full identify of R.S. as well as the two officers.
Justice Ian Nordheimer yesterday adjourned the matter to July 7.
The court documents submitted on behalf of R.S. say there was nothing "that could possibly justify a complete level 3 strip search."
"The applicant believed he was forced to submit to the degrading and humiliating strip search for an improper purpose – the impugned officers wanted to teach him a lesson."
During the strip search, R.S. says he was forced to "touch and manipulate his genitalia with his hands." He submits "that when assessed in the context of the relevant and controlling judicial authorities, the conduct of the impugned officers satisfies the legal elements of sexual assault."
A factum filed on behalf of the respondent says "there is no evidence that the search was conducted in circumstances of a sexual nature."
Arkansas teacher charged with sexual assault of 18 year old student sentenced to 5 years probation, 120 days jail
(Originally Posted 4-1-08)
The arraignment for a Arkansas teacher charged with having sex with an 18 year student and giving him alcohol 4 times was arraigned yesterday. Melissa Gail Monroe, 32 was charged with 2nd degree sexual assault, a Class B felony, and furnishing alcohol to a minor, a Class C misdemeanor.
According to court documents, Monroe invited the young man to her house on a January evening when her husband was out of town. The student later told police they had sex and he stayed the night. The boy had just turned 18.
It is illegal in Arkansas for teachers, law enforcement officers and others in a position of trust or authority over a minor (under age 21) to engage in sexual conduct with the minor. [If there is a fiduciary relationship between two people, then it should be illegal in all cases, not just when victims are people under drinking age]. Statements made by Monroe to a fellow teacher indicate she may not have known the act was illegal.
Monroe sent a text message [to] a fellow teacher at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 that read, "Help! I've made the worst decision of my life. And I don't know what to do." Monroe said that January night she was drinking and texting with a student, court documents say. She said the student wanted to come over but she told him no. Eventually, he came over and they had sex three times, according to a probable cause affidavit submitted by Detective Mark Jordan of the Bentonville Police Department.
Later that evening, Monroe texted, "You don't hate me do you?" and "At least he was legal. Haha."
On Feb. 19, the fellow teacher went to Principal Steve Jacoby and said Monroe told her she had sex with the student. Police were summoned, and the student was interviewed.Monroe initially denied allegations to police but later admitted having sex with the student, the affidavit states. Police asked her if the boy forced himself on her, and she said no. Monroe worked in the Bentonville School District for seven and a half years.
Class B felonies in Arkansas are punishable by between 5 and 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $15,000.
(Update 5-18-08) Monroe is appealing, stating through her lawyer that she'll appral the portion of the law which states that sexual contact with 18 year old students is unconstitutional.
(Update 9-14-08) Benton County Circuit Judge David Clinger rejected Monroe's argument that the statute violated the rights of consenting adults to "engage in private, consensual, noncommercial acts of sexual intimacy." Lawyer Allan Lane cited Lawrence vs. Texas.
The state, led by Deputy Prosecutor Joni Rose, countered the law is rational because the state had a right to promote a safe environment in schools.
(Update 6-20-09) Monroe and her attorneys were scheduled to introduce arguments Thursday, June 18, that would have let them introduce the sexual history of the student she was charged with victimizing in preparation for the trial on June 23. However, she pled guilty as charged to a count of 2nd degree sexual assault and furnishing alcohol to a minor.
Monroe's attorney, Alan Lane, and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Joni Rose were able to resolve the case with a plea agreement that requires Monroe to serve a jail sentence and be placed on state-supervised probation.
Rose told Circuit Judge David Clinger that Monroe's case is unusual because she is charged with having sex with an adult, but her actions are a crime. Rose said the victim and law enforcement supported the plea agreement. Lane told Clinger that Monroe is already seeing a counselor and that she and her husband are also involved with marriage counseling.
Clinger did not object to the lack of jail time because he was "satisfied you suffered in this regard -You lost your job." Rose stated that "From what the state understands, Mrs. Monroe will never teach again."
Besides 5 years probation, Monroe was sentenced to 120 days in the Benton County Jail, $1670 in court costs, and sex offender registration. Monroe has to report to jail by 7 PM August 23.
The arraignment for a Arkansas teacher charged with having sex with an 18 year student and giving him alcohol 4 times was arraigned yesterday. Melissa Gail Monroe, 32 was charged with 2nd degree sexual assault, a Class B felony, and furnishing alcohol to a minor, a Class C misdemeanor.
According to court documents, Monroe invited the young man to her house on a January evening when her husband was out of town. The student later told police they had sex and he stayed the night. The boy had just turned 18.
It is illegal in Arkansas for teachers, law enforcement officers and others in a position of trust or authority over a minor (under age 21) to engage in sexual conduct with the minor. [If there is a fiduciary relationship between two people, then it should be illegal in all cases, not just when victims are people under drinking age]. Statements made by Monroe to a fellow teacher indicate she may not have known the act was illegal.
Monroe sent a text message [to] a fellow teacher at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 that read, "Help! I've made the worst decision of my life. And I don't know what to do." Monroe said that January night she was drinking and texting with a student, court documents say. She said the student wanted to come over but she told him no. Eventually, he came over and they had sex three times, according to a probable cause affidavit submitted by Detective Mark Jordan of the Bentonville Police Department.
Later that evening, Monroe texted, "You don't hate me do you?" and "At least he was legal. Haha."
On Feb. 19, the fellow teacher went to Principal Steve Jacoby and said Monroe told her she had sex with the student. Police were summoned, and the student was interviewed.Monroe initially denied allegations to police but later admitted having sex with the student, the affidavit states. Police asked her if the boy forced himself on her, and she said no. Monroe worked in the Bentonville School District for seven and a half years.
Class B felonies in Arkansas are punishable by between 5 and 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $15,000.
(Update 5-18-08) Monroe is appealing, stating through her lawyer that she'll appral the portion of the law which states that sexual contact with 18 year old students is unconstitutional.
(Update 9-14-08) Benton County Circuit Judge David Clinger rejected Monroe's argument that the statute violated the rights of consenting adults to "engage in private, consensual, noncommercial acts of sexual intimacy." Lawyer Allan Lane cited Lawrence vs. Texas.
The state, led by Deputy Prosecutor Joni Rose, countered the law is rational because the state had a right to promote a safe environment in schools.
(Update 6-20-09) Monroe and her attorneys were scheduled to introduce arguments Thursday, June 18, that would have let them introduce the sexual history of the student she was charged with victimizing in preparation for the trial on June 23. However, she pled guilty as charged to a count of 2nd degree sexual assault and furnishing alcohol to a minor.
Monroe's attorney, Alan Lane, and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Joni Rose were able to resolve the case with a plea agreement that requires Monroe to serve a jail sentence and be placed on state-supervised probation.
Rose told Circuit Judge David Clinger that Monroe's case is unusual because she is charged with having sex with an adult, but her actions are a crime. Rose said the victim and law enforcement supported the plea agreement. Lane told Clinger that Monroe is already seeing a counselor and that she and her husband are also involved with marriage counseling.
Clinger did not object to the lack of jail time because he was "satisfied you suffered in this regard -You lost your job." Rose stated that "From what the state understands, Mrs. Monroe will never teach again."
Besides 5 years probation, Monroe was sentenced to 120 days in the Benton County Jail, $1670 in court costs, and sex offender registration. Monroe has to report to jail by 7 PM August 23.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
"Man" arranges for wife rape through Craigslist
(Original Post 6-3-09)
According to the Kannapolis Police, a 25 year old man used Craigslist to find a man willing to rape the poster's wife. The incident, which occured with the victim's two kids sleeping in the home, happened at 2:45 AM on May 31. The attacker, armed with a knife, raped the victim at knifepoint. The kids, aged 3 and 4, in the home were found unharmed, and the woman was taken to a local hospital for an exam.
Kannapolis Police Chief James “Woody” Chavis said about the attack, “When the victim woke up and she saw a male standing at the foot of the bed holding a knife.”
"[The 'husband'] solicited him to enter his house and sexually assault his wife," Chavis also said. "It's very unusual, and I've been in law enforcement a long time."
Police grew suspicious when discrepancies in the victim's and the husband's stories appeared during questioning. The lack of forced entry also raised suspicions, confirmed after the police found the husband's Craigslist ads seeking someone "to have sex with his wife using some type of scare tactic.”
Another clue that pointed to the husband was that the "man" did nothing to stop the attack.
Because the posting was done without the victim's knowledge, let alone consent, the husband was charged with a count of rape, 2 counts of 1st degree sex offense, and a count a attempted 1st degree sex offense.
Craigslist has come under fire in recent months. In April, Philip Markoff was accused of killing a New York City woman who offered masseuse services through the Web site. Police have also accused the 22-year-old in the armed robbery of another woman. Police said both women had advertised erotic services on Craigslist.
The company has promised to eliminate the category and replace it with a new “adult services” section, where ads will be screened before they are posted.
The man who actually had sex with the victim may not have been aware that the woman had not consented, which is necessary to prove rape.
(Update 6-11-09) Kannapolis police have released a court document detailing more about the crime commited when the "husband" allegedly asked a man to rape his wife at gunpoint.
According to the court document, the wife and her husband were in bed and confronted at about 2 a.m. by a six-foot-tall assailant wielding a knife. He demanded $3,000. The wife said she only had a few hundred dollars.
“… the suspect said that was not enough and that he would get the money from her one way or the other,” the investigating officer wrote in the affidavit. “(The victim) stated that she was afraid for her children who were in another room directly across from her room.”
At the hospital, the victim described the events to the investigator.
“She also stated that her husband's sexual fantasy is having sex with her and another male,” the investigator wrote in the affidavit. “She said that she has checked her husband's e-mail in the past and found e-mail communication where he was requesting someone to please her.”
The husband was convicted last year of indecent exposure in Chesterfield County, Va., according to court documents. He was accused by police of exposing himself twice to a woman delivering pizza to his hotel room.
The Kannapolis home was also the site of a daycare, however, since the sex offense ws a misdemeanor, the husband was not required to stay away from children. Lt. Ken Jackson of the Kannapolis police said that only 1 child was attending the daycare, and the child was off the premises at the time of the attack.
The most shocking part of this, in my opinion, was that the husband told his wife to take a shower (destroying DNA evidence) and not to call police. The wife, after the intruder set down his knife, “was able to get the knife and throw it off the opposite side of the bed near her husband.” Her aim was a bit off, I suspect.
(Update 6-13-09) Kannapolis police arrested the remaining suspect in the case yesterday. 39 year old Rodney Liverman, of Norwood, NC, is being held on $250,000 bond on charges of 1st degree rape.
Note - In all stories, the husband's name has been withheld in order to protect the victim, but in this case, the information already released by the officials in this case is enough to identify the victim. It doesn't just take releasing names for people to figure out more info in cases like this.
According to the Kannapolis Police, a 25 year old man used Craigslist to find a man willing to rape the poster's wife. The incident, which occured with the victim's two kids sleeping in the home, happened at 2:45 AM on May 31. The attacker, armed with a knife, raped the victim at knifepoint. The kids, aged 3 and 4, in the home were found unharmed, and the woman was taken to a local hospital for an exam.
Kannapolis Police Chief James “Woody” Chavis said about the attack, “When the victim woke up and she saw a male standing at the foot of the bed holding a knife.”
"[The 'husband'] solicited him to enter his house and sexually assault his wife," Chavis also said. "It's very unusual, and I've been in law enforcement a long time."
Police grew suspicious when discrepancies in the victim's and the husband's stories appeared during questioning. The lack of forced entry also raised suspicions, confirmed after the police found the husband's Craigslist ads seeking someone "to have sex with his wife using some type of scare tactic.”
Another clue that pointed to the husband was that the "man" did nothing to stop the attack.
Because the posting was done without the victim's knowledge, let alone consent, the husband was charged with a count of rape, 2 counts of 1st degree sex offense, and a count a attempted 1st degree sex offense.
Craigslist has come under fire in recent months. In April, Philip Markoff was accused of killing a New York City woman who offered masseuse services through the Web site. Police have also accused the 22-year-old in the armed robbery of another woman. Police said both women had advertised erotic services on Craigslist.
The company has promised to eliminate the category and replace it with a new “adult services” section, where ads will be screened before they are posted.
The man who actually had sex with the victim may not have been aware that the woman had not consented, which is necessary to prove rape.
(Update 6-11-09) Kannapolis police have released a court document detailing more about the crime commited when the "husband" allegedly asked a man to rape his wife at gunpoint.
According to the court document, the wife and her husband were in bed and confronted at about 2 a.m. by a six-foot-tall assailant wielding a knife. He demanded $3,000. The wife said she only had a few hundred dollars.
“… the suspect said that was not enough and that he would get the money from her one way or the other,” the investigating officer wrote in the affidavit. “(The victim) stated that she was afraid for her children who were in another room directly across from her room.”
At the hospital, the victim described the events to the investigator.
“She also stated that her husband's sexual fantasy is having sex with her and another male,” the investigator wrote in the affidavit. “She said that she has checked her husband's e-mail in the past and found e-mail communication where he was requesting someone to please her.”
The husband was convicted last year of indecent exposure in Chesterfield County, Va., according to court documents. He was accused by police of exposing himself twice to a woman delivering pizza to his hotel room.
The Kannapolis home was also the site of a daycare, however, since the sex offense ws a misdemeanor, the husband was not required to stay away from children. Lt. Ken Jackson of the Kannapolis police said that only 1 child was attending the daycare, and the child was off the premises at the time of the attack.
The most shocking part of this, in my opinion, was that the husband told his wife to take a shower (destroying DNA evidence) and not to call police. The wife, after the intruder set down his knife, “was able to get the knife and throw it off the opposite side of the bed near her husband.” Her aim was a bit off, I suspect.
(Update 6-13-09) Kannapolis police arrested the remaining suspect in the case yesterday. 39 year old Rodney Liverman, of Norwood, NC, is being held on $250,000 bond on charges of 1st degree rape.
Note - In all stories, the husband's name has been withheld in order to protect the victim, but in this case, the information already released by the officials in this case is enough to identify the victim. It doesn't just take releasing names for people to figure out more info in cases like this.
Colorado inmate gets $1.3 M for prison rapes by guard
The Associated Press Thursday, June 11, 2009; 12:58 PM
DENVER -- A Colorado inmate who was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a guard was awarded $1.3 million by a judge who said he wanted to send a message that prison rapes will not be tolerated.
In a ruling issued Wednesday, U.S. Circuit Judge David M. Ebel said the Colorado Department of Corrections doesn't effectively prevent sexual assaults against inmates.
The woman at the Denver Women's Correctional Facility sued former Sgt. LeShawn Terrell last year, claiming he repeatedly assaulted her and raped her in 2006. She settled out of court with the Corrections Department for $250,000.
"The right to be safe from sexual assault and rape by one of her guards turned out to be worth no more than the paper upon which (the regulation) was written," Ebel wrote.
Prison records show the 34-year-old victim is serving time on drug, burglary and escape charges and will be eligible for parole in October. The $1.3 million award includes $354,070 in compensatory damages for pain and suffering, plus $1 million in punitive damages against Terrell.
He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unlawful sexual contact and was sentenced to 60 days in jail. Ebel criticized that sentence as too short.
DENVER -- A Colorado inmate who was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a guard was awarded $1.3 million by a judge who said he wanted to send a message that prison rapes will not be tolerated.
In a ruling issued Wednesday, U.S. Circuit Judge David M. Ebel said the Colorado Department of Corrections doesn't effectively prevent sexual assaults against inmates.
The woman at the Denver Women's Correctional Facility sued former Sgt. LeShawn Terrell last year, claiming he repeatedly assaulted her and raped her in 2006. She settled out of court with the Corrections Department for $250,000.
"The right to be safe from sexual assault and rape by one of her guards turned out to be worth no more than the paper upon which (the regulation) was written," Ebel wrote.
Prison records show the 34-year-old victim is serving time on drug, burglary and escape charges and will be eligible for parole in October. The $1.3 million award includes $354,070 in compensatory damages for pain and suffering, plus $1 million in punitive damages against Terrell.
He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unlawful sexual contact and was sentenced to 60 days in jail. Ebel criticized that sentence as too short.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Azle, TX high school teacher faces sex charges for sex with 18 year old - sentenced to prison, probation
(Original Post 11-16-08)
A female private school teacher is accused of having a sexual relationship with an 18 year old studnet, and a second suspected relationship with a 17 year old. Julianna Sauls, a married 38 year old algebra teacher at Azle Christian School in Azle, TX, is facing a charge of improper relationship between teacher and student.
The 18 year old alleged victim and his father stated the sexual contact began at schol in September, when Sauls began to grope him both under and over his clothes, and forced him to touch her breast and make out with him before she would let him leave her classroom. All of these incidents occurred in isolation.
[The victim] showed investigators a pink note with Sauls’ home address and phone number, which he said the married mother of two had given him "so he could come to her home and have sex with her while her children were asleep," the affidavit states.
After setting up a meeting with Sauls in the parking lot of Azle High, where she agreed not to try anything sexual, a "normal" conversation turned into Sauls complaning about sexual inadequacies with her husband, and led to her performing oral sex with the 18 year old. The victim wanted to stop seeing Sauls because she was his teacher, and wasn't attractive to him.
"After the first few seconds of what was going on, he regained his composure enough to realize this was not proper," Azle Police Chief Steve Myers said.
"Prior to him leaving, [Sauls] told the victim to 'trust her’ and that all the other boys trusted her," the affidavit stated, leading investigators to believe that other students may have been involved.
After that incident, Sauls pulled down her lower hip to show a tattoo, and they both went to a Ft. Worth tattoo shop to get matching tattoos. Sauls also called and texted the victim, and sent an e-mail "which showed that she wanted to talk to the victim, was thinking about him and gave him instructions to delete her telephone number after they talk on the phone." A police investigation started October 28, and Sauls was arrested Wednesday, but released on bail. Sauls was dismissed from her job due to "lack of work," and faces both Tarrant and Parker County charges.
Normally, the age of consent in Texas is 17, but a 2003 law states teachers cannot have consensual relationships with high school students.
While police were interviewing other students about the teacher, a 17-year-old student disclosed that Sauls had also had sexual contact with him in recent months outside his residence in unincorporated Parker County, Azle authorities said.
"My understanding is it occurred in the student’s driveway late one night," Azle police Lt. Lee Blaisdell said. "I believe the student’s mother pulled in the driveway and found the teacher parked in the driveway with her son. At the time, they were denying that anything had happened."
Azle police gave the 17-year-old’s statement to Parker County sheriff’s officials, who are now investigating that case and another incident involving the 18-year-old student that may have occurred in their jurisdiction.
"I know there’s more victims out there but they’re not coming forward out of fear, retaliation and embarrassment," Azle police Detective Richard Martinez said. "I wish they would come forward. They’re the victims. They didn’t do anything wrong."
Sauls' teaching certificate is valid through September 2013, according to records, and Martinez chided those who saw no harm in an 18 year old with his teacher, stating that "the point is parents pay good money to send their child to get a good education. They didn’t send their child to be a victim and be assaulted."
(Update 12-7-08) Sauls was formally charged with two more counts of the same crime regarding both the 17 year and 18 year old victims in Parker County. She was released on $60,000 bail December 3.
(Update 6-9-09) After a plea deal, Sauls was sentenced to 6 months in jail and a 9 1/2 month suspended sentence for 2 counts of improper relationship between an educator and a student. 43rd District Judge Don Chrestman imposed the sentence. According to Parker County Assistant District Attorney Jeff Swain, other punishment includes 10 years of probation, 400 hours of community service, a $4000 fine, sex offender treatment, and a ban from all junior high and high school aged youths, including the victims.
District Judge Sharen Wilson also sentenced Sauls in Tarrant County to 5 years probation, 240 hours of community service, 6 months in jail, to be served after release from prison in the Parker County case, and a mental health evaluation. The victim involved in the Tarrant county case is one of the victims in the Parker County indictments.
A female private school teacher is accused of having a sexual relationship with an 18 year old studnet, and a second suspected relationship with a 17 year old. Julianna Sauls, a married 38 year old algebra teacher at Azle Christian School in Azle, TX, is facing a charge of improper relationship between teacher and student.
The 18 year old alleged victim and his father stated the sexual contact began at schol in September, when Sauls began to grope him both under and over his clothes, and forced him to touch her breast and make out with him before she would let him leave her classroom. All of these incidents occurred in isolation.
[The victim] showed investigators a pink note with Sauls’ home address and phone number, which he said the married mother of two had given him "so he could come to her home and have sex with her while her children were asleep," the affidavit states.
After setting up a meeting with Sauls in the parking lot of Azle High, where she agreed not to try anything sexual, a "normal" conversation turned into Sauls complaning about sexual inadequacies with her husband, and led to her performing oral sex with the 18 year old. The victim wanted to stop seeing Sauls because she was his teacher, and wasn't attractive to him.
"After the first few seconds of what was going on, he regained his composure enough to realize this was not proper," Azle Police Chief Steve Myers said.
"Prior to him leaving, [Sauls] told the victim to 'trust her’ and that all the other boys trusted her," the affidavit stated, leading investigators to believe that other students may have been involved.
After that incident, Sauls pulled down her lower hip to show a tattoo, and they both went to a Ft. Worth tattoo shop to get matching tattoos. Sauls also called and texted the victim, and sent an e-mail "which showed that she wanted to talk to the victim, was thinking about him and gave him instructions to delete her telephone number after they talk on the phone." A police investigation started October 28, and Sauls was arrested Wednesday, but released on bail. Sauls was dismissed from her job due to "lack of work," and faces both Tarrant and Parker County charges.
Normally, the age of consent in Texas is 17, but a 2003 law states teachers cannot have consensual relationships with high school students.
While police were interviewing other students about the teacher, a 17-year-old student disclosed that Sauls had also had sexual contact with him in recent months outside his residence in unincorporated Parker County, Azle authorities said.
"My understanding is it occurred in the student’s driveway late one night," Azle police Lt. Lee Blaisdell said. "I believe the student’s mother pulled in the driveway and found the teacher parked in the driveway with her son. At the time, they were denying that anything had happened."
Azle police gave the 17-year-old’s statement to Parker County sheriff’s officials, who are now investigating that case and another incident involving the 18-year-old student that may have occurred in their jurisdiction.
"I know there’s more victims out there but they’re not coming forward out of fear, retaliation and embarrassment," Azle police Detective Richard Martinez said. "I wish they would come forward. They’re the victims. They didn’t do anything wrong."
Sauls' teaching certificate is valid through September 2013, according to records, and Martinez chided those who saw no harm in an 18 year old with his teacher, stating that "the point is parents pay good money to send their child to get a good education. They didn’t send their child to be a victim and be assaulted."
(Update 12-7-08) Sauls was formally charged with two more counts of the same crime regarding both the 17 year and 18 year old victims in Parker County. She was released on $60,000 bail December 3.
(Update 6-9-09) After a plea deal, Sauls was sentenced to 6 months in jail and a 9 1/2 month suspended sentence for 2 counts of improper relationship between an educator and a student. 43rd District Judge Don Chrestman imposed the sentence. According to Parker County Assistant District Attorney Jeff Swain, other punishment includes 10 years of probation, 400 hours of community service, a $4000 fine, sex offender treatment, and a ban from all junior high and high school aged youths, including the victims.
District Judge Sharen Wilson also sentenced Sauls in Tarrant County to 5 years probation, 240 hours of community service, 6 months in jail, to be served after release from prison in the Parker County case, and a mental health evaluation. The victim involved in the Tarrant county case is one of the victims in the Parker County indictments.
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