Laura Sieradzki, 34, was sentenced on criminal sexual assault charges for having sex with a student who was just 4 days from turning 18 while she taught as a special ed teacher at a McHenry County (IL) high school. If she had not taught at the same school as the teen, the relationship would have been legal, as the regular AOC is 17 in Illinois. Other charges involved the inappropriate piercing of two girls, one 16 and one 17 year old girl. All incidents occured in March 2006, and at the time, she taught two of the victims, though authorities did not say which two.
Sieradzki, a former Palatine resident, had been a $41,000-a-year teacher at McHenry High School's West Campus.
She admitted to having a sexual encounter with the student March 29, 2006, in a car parked outside of a Wonder Lake party that was attended by high school students. Authorities declined to say whether the student involved was in Sieradzki's class.
The age of consent for a regular citizen who has no teaching authority over a student is 17, and the AOC rises to 18 if there is a teacher/student relationship, unlike other states, where a teacher/student sexual relationship is prohibited regardless of age. Therapist/patient and guard/inmate sexual activity is considered to be non-consensual at any age in Illinois.
Sieradzki also pleaded guilty to separate misdemeanor charges for piercing two female students under the age of 17, authorities said. Charges of sexual assault of a minor and providing liquor to minors were dropped in exchange for the guilty pleas.
Sieradzki, a former Palatine resident, had been a $41,000-a-year teacher at McHenry High School's West Campus.
She admitted to having a sexual encounter with the student March 29, 2006, in a car parked outside of a Wonder Lake party that was attended by high school students. Authorities declined to say whether the student involved was in Sieradzki's class.
The age of consent for a regular citizen who has no teaching authority over a student is 17, and the AOC rises to 18 if there is a teacher/student relationship, unlike other states, where a teacher/student sexual relationship is prohibited regardless of age. Therapist/patient and guard/inmate sexual activity is considered to be non-consensual at any age in Illinois.
Sieradzki also pleaded guilty to separate misdemeanor charges for piercing two female students under the age of 17, authorities said. Charges of sexual assault of a minor and providing liquor to minors were dropped in exchange for the guilty pleas.
The piercings of the 16- and 17-year-old female students [in an "inappropriate location"]occurred on separate occasions earlier [March 2006] in Wonder Lake, [McHenry County Sheriff's Lt. Don]Carlson said.
Judge Sharon Prather in McHenry County Circuit Court sentenced Sieradzki to two years of probation, and a 6 month jail term, suspended if she completes the two years probation with no violations.
Sieradzki, who lost her teaching license, now has a clerical job, her lawyer said. Prather sentenced Sieradzki to 180 days in jail but suspended the sentence if she complies with the conditions of her probation. Sieradzki also was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, $200 to the McHenry County Child Advocacy Center and $100 to Crime Stoppers. She was prohibited from contacting the victims and must register as a sex offender.
Judge Sharon Prather in McHenry County Circuit Court sentenced Sieradzki to two years of probation, and a 6 month jail term, suspended if she completes the two years probation with no violations.
Sieradzki, who lost her teaching license, now has a clerical job, her lawyer said. Prather sentenced Sieradzki to 180 days in jail but suspended the sentence if she complies with the conditions of her probation. Sieradzki also was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, $200 to the McHenry County Child Advocacy Center and $100 to Crime Stoppers. She was prohibited from contacting the victims and must register as a sex offender.
"It gives her the ability to move on with her life after a period of time," her attorney, Mary Cay Marubio, said. "This is a good person who made some bad judgments."
Prosecutors said they took into consideration the wishes of the student involved in the case in deciding to plea bargain.
Nichole Owens of the McHenry County's state's attorney's office said of the victim,"It was very embarrassing to him, and he preferred not to testify publicly about the offense."
Sieradzki currently lives in Freeport. Her SO registration is for a decade.
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