Ohio gym teacher charged with allegedly doing members of football team gets 4 years, lifetime SO registration

(Original Post 2-6-11)
An Ohio teacher has been charged with 16 counts of sexual battery and 3 misdemeanor counts of offenses involving underage persons for allegedly having sex with football team members and providing them alcohol at the high school she worked at. Stacy Schuler of Springboro OH, was charged by the Warren County Prosecutor's Office after parents went to the authorities regarding their sons' sexual contact with Schuler. Schuler's indictment can be found here.

Schuler, a health and physical education teacher at the 3,048 student-populated Mason High School, has been under investigation by police after an anonymous tip was given to school officials during the week of Jan. 10, according to Tracey Carson, schools spokeswoman. Carson said Schuler was placed on paid administrative leave on Jan. 18. During that time, Schuler was prohibited from attending district events or being on district property.

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Bruce McGary said the allegations did not happen at a party. Mason police Detective Toni Hoelke said when the parents of the students found out about the allegations, they “were surprised and that they had no idea about it.”

The Mason High School teacher, who turns 33 next week, was arraigned in Warren County Common Pleas Court Friday, February 4 and is currently being held on $50,000 bond, which she has not yet raised, according to her attorney, Charlie Rittgers of Lebanon, OH.

“We knew she was being investigated. There has been no discovery from prosecutors and we’ll be starting our own investigation.” Rittgers also stated that if she made bond, thought to be unlikely before the end of the weekend, she would have to wear a GPS monitoring device. and stay away from the victims and other Mason High students. “Anytime a teacher is accused of having sex with students, it gets peoples attention. It doesn’t surprise me with those allegations.”

Mason High school mother Ginnie Sclosser said that "It is just heartbreak all over, and I especially feel bad for the students that were involved and my heart breaks for their parents, too. It's just a bad situation for everybody,"

Schuler graduated from Centerville High School in 1996 and Wright State University in 2000. She was a student teacher at Fairmont High School in Kettering from 1999-2000, according to her file.Her duties included work as an athletic trainer for the high school’s girls and boys sports teams. She earned $53,194 in 2008, according to her personnel file.

In her Health Education Philosophy as part of her application to work at Mason, Schuler wrote that she wanted to teach students about major risk factors for teenagers including “sexual behaviors that result in disease, STDs, and unwanted pregnancies.” Part of her mission statement included “Today’s society has its own standards of behavior, values, and norms that do not necessarily reflect healthy living...How can a child who is sexually active as a teenager learn about STDs and how to prevent unwanted pregnancies?”

Mason superintendent Superintendent Kevin Bright said that “Our job at the end of the day, is to partner with our families and to empower our staff to report anything that seems out of line, and then to act swiftly when someone behaves inappropriately. He also said his district “acted swiftly, partnered with police immediately, and we are standing her[e] today because of how seriously our high school principal took an anonymous tip.”

 

The principal of Mason High, Mindy McCarty-Stewart sent out a e-mail to parents January 31. She said that “As high school principal, I am committed to the safety and well-being of our students, and will not tolerate behavior that does not conform to that goal. Our staff is prepared to help our students during this situation, and know how it important it is to continue to build trust with our students and families.”

 

Schuler isn't the only Mason High employee who has been embroiled in this scandal. George Coates, an assistant Mason High principal, allegedly sent Schuler sexually explicit images. Coates turned in his resignation and the Mason High School board is voting on whether to accept it at their upcoming Tuesday meeting. The school board is also voting on whether to suspend Schuler without pay and beging termination procedures against her at the meeting.

(Update 2-9-11) Schuler was released on her own recognisance yesterday. Conditions of release include a 8PM to 6AM curfew, no contact with any minors or high school students over 18, and no drugs or alcohol. The now former teacher must also wear a GPS device.

During the Mason School Board meeting last night, the board unanimously accepted the resignation of Schuler, who has submitted a letter of resignation Monday. They also accepted the resignation of former assistant principal George Coates. Despite this, Dr. Kevin Bright, Mason School District superintendent, faced calls from parents to also resign. One said "All this stuff happened under his watch." and another said, "It's your policies that now have cost the children their innocence. You ought to get out of Mason. Just get out of Mason. Get out."

Bright said that he reported the allegations to the Ohio Department Of Education, and "While we had begun the process to terminate Ms. Schuler, we received her resignation today and believe that accepting it will save the district a lot of legal fees, which is in the best interest of our taxpayers and students."

(Update 10-28-11) After a three day bench trial, Stacy Schuler was convicted of 16 felony counts of sexual battery and three misdemeanor counts of giving alcohol to minors in a Warren County, OH courtroom yesterday. The presiding judge was Judge Robert Peeler. All five teenage boys were over Ohio's age of cpnsent, which is normally 16, but does not exist when there is a position of formal authority.

All five teens, who were about 17 years old at time, testified that Schuler was drinking alcohol at the time of the alleged incidents, was a willing participant in the acts and initiated much of the contact.

One of the teens testified they considered Schuler’s home a safe place to get high. Several said they were high on marijuana during sex with Schuler and that she made them vodka smoothies and served them beer and peach wine.

Originally, Schuler plead not guilty to all charges, but changed her plea to guilty by reason on insanity, a plea which according to a prosecution witness, was planned by Schuler before she was formally charged. During Thursday's closing arguments, Assistant Warren County Prosecutor Teresa Hiett said that "She got drunk and made some really poor choices. Does that mean she’s insane? No. She was the adult. She was the teacher. She had the trust. It’s the relationship between the defendant and the victims that makes this a crime.”

Defense attorney Charlie Rittgers said that her condition was caused by a mixture of bipolar disorder, Zoloft, an antidepressant drug, and alcohol."The underlying disease is the bipolar. The catalyst is the Zoloft magnified by the alcohol.”

Rittgers said it didn’t make sense that a person with Christian values would risk her livelihood and freedom, and said that the evidence supported an insanity defense.

“They want us to believe that all of a sudden after 10 years teaching, she wants to throw it away to have sex with five different guys,” he told the judge. “It’s far more reasonable to believe Stacy was suffering from an underlying psychological disorder.”

Judge Peeler said that while the defense argument about the adverse reaction of alcohol and drugs or an underlying condition may explain Schuler's behavior, it does not excuse it. Being voluntarily drunk was no excuse for taking advantage of students, and that it would be "a leap" to suggest that Schuler did not appreciate the wrongfulness of her conduct.

Before the verdict, the mother of one of the victims took the stand and said while crying, "These young men may appear as if they are tough guys, but in reality they are truly hurting. (Schuler) played on their emotions and she crossed the line.”

The four year prison sentence comes with an option for early release in six months. Besides the felony convictions of sexual battery, Schuler must register as a Tier 3 sex offender every 90 days for the rest of her life. Schuler resigned as a gym teacher from Mason High school back in February.

Teacher gets 60 days jail, lifetime SO registration for banging 18 year old student

A former high school French teacher and bowling coach was sentenced to 60 days in jail, a $500 fine, and lifetime sex offender registration for having sexual encounters with an 18 year old student on Monday, May 16, 2011.  
 

44 year old Cheryl Clark’s sentencing was the culmination of a guilty plea entered Monday, April 11, 2011 in a Bellefontaine, OH courtroom. The guilty plea was for a single count of sexual battery. The presiding judge over was Logan County Common Pleas Judge Mark S. O'Connor. Clark, of Huntsville, OH, was a teacher for 15 years at Indian Lake High School before she was charged with sex with an 18 year old student.

Clark and the teenager had sex in her home at least twice, the first time on Feb.10 [2011], 16 days after the student turned 18, [Logan County Assistant Prosecutor Eric]Stewart said. Still, under Ohio law, it is a felony because Clark held a position of trust.

The boy’s mother became suspicious after she saw Clarke with her son at a school event. She went to local authorities,  and the Washington Township Police Department went to Clarke’s home and found evidence, including text messages.

Clark told probation officers who were conducting a pre-sentence investigation that she thought the relationship was permissible because the student had turned 18, Stewart said. O'Connor could have sentenced Clark to as long as five years in prison, and the prosecutor wanted prison time.

Besides the jail sentence, lifetime registration, and the $500 fine, Clark's teaching certificate was permanently revoked. She must also undergo counseling and have no contact with her victim.

Teacher who faced 10 years behind bars for "relationship" with 19 year old student gets 10 months

(Original Post 5-29-10)
A 28 year old Shelby, NC teacher is facing a decade behind bars for an "affair" with a 19 year old student at the school she worked at. Nichole Chapman, a married mother of three daughters was arraigned at the Cleveland County Law Enforcement Center Thursday morning. Chapman was charged with two counts each of indecent liberties with a student and sex offense with a student.

The judge set Chapman's bond at $75,000 and ordered her not to have any contact with the victim, 19 year old Vavaughia Snipes. This may be a problem since instead of listing her estranged husband, Chapman listed Snipes' mother, Chella Whisnant as her nearest relative during booking.

Chapman and Snipes began their "relationship" about a month ago at North Shelby School, a school for special needs students between 3 and 21. All encounters took place at his home, and he claimed to have started the relationship. Snipes said that "I ain't no victim...I love her and she loves me, so as far as that goes. They are not going to stop me from seeing her so it don't matter,” he said. He suffers from seizures and a learning disability.

Chapman said she believes she was arrested and charged “Probably because I'm white and he's black." Jeff Ledford, the Shelby police chief, disagrees. "That teacher-student relationship, that's where it's at. That's where your issue lies. The age goes out the window when you are talking about a teacher [and a] student,” because North Carolina law considers teachers to be guardians of students.

(Update 5-2-11) Chapman was sentenced to 10 to 12 months in jail for indecent liberties with a student and sex offense with a student. In December, Cleveland County (NC) Superior Court Judge Forrest D. Bridges accepted Chapman's pleas. On Monday, May 2, it wasn't Judge Bridges, but Judge James W. Morgan who formally sentenced Chapman. Bridges ordered psychatric evaulations for Chapman, conducted while at a psychiatric hospital in Butner, NC. The evaluations stated that she was competent to stand trial.

Chapman’s lawyer, Katherine Haen, said the former teacher was on medications to treat her various disorders at the time of the incident. Haen said this “cocktail” of medicine affected her behavior.

Chapman’s mother and father sat in the courtroom during the proceedings. Haen said Chapman’s parents drove to Raleigh on a regular basis to visit their daughter over the three months she was at the psychiatric hospital. Haen said it was over the course of her stay at the psychiatric hospital that Chapman changed.

"I think she’s gotten to know herself. She actually thanks Judge Bridges for putting her through that program...She has three daughters she hasn’t seen since December. I hope that the court will allow her to be released today to start a new life, a new direction. This experience has really transformed her.”

Chapman echoed her lawyer's statement. “I’m not the same Nicole. I can tell, and my family can tell, I’m a different person thanks to the help I’ve gotten.”

St. Paul weight trainer accused of sexual misconduct with 16 year old - stipulated facts trial leads to probation

(Original Post 12-4-09)

A 25 year old weight room supervisor at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, MN was charged with two counts of 3rd degree criminal sexual conduct for a sexual relationship with one of her 16 year old students which took place back in 2008. Gail E. Gagne is alleged to have engaged in sexual contact with the 16 year old several times, including at her Bloomington, MN home and at a hotel near the Mall Of America.

Hotel records and Gagne's credit card receipts show that on Sept. 13-14 of that year, she spent the night at LaQuinta Hotel on Nicollet Avenue south in Bloomington, the complaint said.

The principal at the private Catholic school told police that Gagne was hired in November 2007 as an assistant basketball coach. From January through September 2008, she was a substitute teacher. In the summer of 2008, she worked in the weight room, and in late September 2008, she was hired as a full-time teacher, the complaint said.

Gagne is not in custody because she is believed to be in Chicagoland. Hennepin County District Judge Ron Abrams issued an arrest warrant Tuesday, December 1. Her attorney, Earl Grey, said his client will plead not guilty. Third degree CSC is a 15 year felony in Minnesota.

(Update 12-13-09) Gagne turned herself in at the Hennepin county Jail 3:30 Thursday, December 10, but made her $50,000 bond four hours later, according to jail records. She appeared for her preliminary hearing before District Court Judge Thomas Sipkins Friday, December 11, where she was ordered to stay away from the alleged victim.

(Update 2-8-11) A "stipulated facts" trial heard by a judge only will decide the case of Gagne. He jury trial was supossed to have started yesterday, February 7, 2011. This means that the prosecution and defense attorney has gone to agreement on facts without having a formal plea agreement. Also like a plea agreement,  a count of 3rd degree CSC was dropped and a second count of 3rd degree CSC was reduced to 5th degree CSC, a gross misdemeanor.

Under the agreement, prosecutor Judith Hawley will prepare a statement of the facts in the case and she, Gail Gagne and Gagne's attorney, Earl Gray, will sign it and submit it to Judge Richard Scherer on Wednesday. A sentencing hearing is set for March 28 if she's convicted.

According to Professor Joseph Daly of Hamline University Law School, such a legal arrangement meant it was a near certainty that Gagne would be convicted during the bench trial.

(Update 3-29-11) Yesterday, Gagne was sentenced to a year in jail, suspended, and two years probation by Hennepin County District Judge Richard Scherer. Gagne did not speak, but her victim's mother did. The mother said that she had hoped to send her son to Cretin-Derham to "provide a safe, loving environment," but that Gagne had betrayed her trust and damaged her family's lives. "His family is left holding the dirty laundry of the defendant's unprofessional, self-serving actions."

After the hearing, both sides used the words "reasonable" and "appropriate" to describe the outcome. Then again, they had both agreed to what it would be last month when they filed a "stipulation" with the court laying out what the facts were.

"I thought it was a reasonable disposition of the case," defense lawyer Earl Gray said afterward. "Although I thought I could win it, you can also lose."

"I think we had an appropriate resolution to a very unhappy situation," said Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman. He said he believed the verdict and sentence would send a message to teachers, coaches and others with authority over youths that having sex with students has strong consequences. "Society doesn't permit it, and morality doesn't permit it," Freeman said.

Gagne has moved to California.

Long term substitute teacher charged with misconduct with three boys

A British literature teacher who allegedly had sexual relationships with three Bay City Central High School students is free on $100,000 bond. 41 year old Heidi Lewis was charged with 6 counts of 3rd degree criminal sexual conduct, punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment.

While the AOC in Michigan is normally 16, Michigan state law raises the AOC to 18 when dealing with teacher student sex under normal circumstances The same law raises it to 26 when dealing with Michigan special needs students. Lewis was arrested after the "girlfriend" of one of the alleged victims told Assistant Principal Joseph Buggs that her beau had had sex with the teacher. The teacher was a long term substitute, who taught between January and June 2010.  This led to an interview with Buggs and a Bay City police officer.

The students, both 17, told Buggs and the officer they had been in Lewis’ class and that during the school year, their relationship had been of a typical teacher-student nature.

Near the end of the school year, Lewis and one of the students exchanged cell phone numbers, one of the teens said. A short while after school let out for the year, Lewis came over to the teen’s house and they had sex, the teen told investigators.

The second teen told investigators the first teen later told him of his relationship with Lewis while they were hanging out together. When the second teen said he did not believe his friend, the first teen called Lewis over to his house. Both teens then simultaneously had sex with Lewis, they said, according to court records.

Over time, the two teens told a third classmate about having sex with Lewis. Investigators interviewed the third teen, who claimed to have had sex with Lewis in the back of her silver Jeep Cherokee. This teen told his girlfriend what happened and she ended up passing the information to school authorities.

Lewis was arrested later that day. She was arraigned February 9, 2011 in Bay County District Judge Dawn A. Klida's courtroom.  Bay County Assistant Prosecutor Jordan E. Case asked that an additional stipulation prohibiting her from contact with minors be added to her release conditions. Defense attorney Richard Lee Jr objected, but Judge Klida granted the prosecution request.

Former teacher gets year in prison and lifetime SO registration for "relationship" with 18 year old girl

Ryan Spicer, a 30 year old ex teacher from Crooksville, OH, was sentenced to a year in prison and lifetime registration as a Tier 3 sex offender for a count of sexual battery. Perry County Common Pleas Court accepted his plea November 16 to a Bill Of Information regarding a count of sexual battery. The victim was a 18 year old girl who Spicer met as a business teacher at Crooksville High School. Spicer was also employed as the assistant football coach at the high school, and worked there from July 24, 2007, to May 20, 2010. Spicer cited "personal" reasons for his resignation.

Kyle Newton, superintendent for the Crooksville Exempted Village School District Board of Education, said once Spicer had resigned, the school was removed from the situation. Newton did say the girl was the only student who has reported any incidents with Spicer.

Although Newton said he and Spicer had a conversation just before Spicer's resignation last year, he would not state what had been discussed. Newton said Monday that when he learned of the situation, he dealt with Spicer as quickly as he could.

According to Newton, Spicer surrendered his taching credentials last month.

Lawsuit by 17 year old boy alleges school did nothing to protect him from teacher - teacher sentenced to 2 years sex offender probation

(Original post 8-21-09)
A math teacher accused of sexually assaulting a 17 year old boy at a Chicago West Side college preparatory school was sued by the boy's family yesterday. The suit alleges intentional infliction of emotional distress, willful and wanton misconduct, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty. Damages are over $50,000 per count, excluding court costs.

The student-athlete, an unnamed minor, was recruited and enrolled at Chicago Hope Academy, 2189 West Bowler Street in the Near West Side neighborhood on the West Side, in 2005, the suit said.

Beginning in the spring of 2008, when the boy was 16 years old, his math teacher Kathryn Vail-Wesley, 22, “publicly and privately showered Plaintiff with attention and affection,” the suit said.Vail-Wesley “would hug or touch Plaintiff on an almost daily basis during the 2007-2008 school year, and would invite Plaintiff to her home,” the suit said.

Vail-Wesley was “well-liked” by students, and the boy felt “privileged to receive attention” and looked to her as a “mentor, leader, protector and authority figure,” the suit said.

After the grooming, Vail-Wesley began making phone calls and “gratuitous inappropriate and/or intimate discussion regarding her private life and sexual history,” eventually approaching his for sex because she was fond of him and wanted to “mix [his] chocolate skin with [her] vanilla skin.” This culminated in repeated sexual encounters between August and October of 2008. The end of the relationship occurred after Vail-Wesley’s husband, a fellow teacher at the school, found his wife and the victim, physically assaulting the victim.

Vail-Wesley’s solicitation and sexual exploitation of the boy included sexual touching, kissing, intercourse and other sexual acts. It occurred in various locations, including but not limited to classrooms, passageways, the teacher’s lounge, chapel and other locations on the Academy’s premises, the suit said. Vail-Wesley explained that her sexual behavior was a “reward” for the boy’s good athletic performance for the school's football team, the suit said. She would attend the boy’s football games exclusively wearing his jersey.

Vail Wesley has been charged with 5 counts of sexual assault, with the trial still pending. The lawsuit stated that teacher student boundaries were blurred, particularly between teachers and student-athletes. The perp's sexual actions were “regular and conspicuous” and “should have been apparent” to other teachers and coaches, but "[a]cademy staff turned a blind eye to Vail-Wesley’s inappropriate attention.”

The lawsuit says that school administrators, teachers, and coaches began to intimidate the victim, culminating after the administration gave the boy a choice to either withdraw or be expelled from Chicago Hope, disrupting both his academic and athletic careers.

(1-14-11 - guilty plea to lesser charges) Vail-Wesley was sentenced to 2 years of sex offender probation Wednesday, January 12, 2011 after pleading guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse. The other counts of sexual assault were dropped by prosecutors. Chicago Hope principal Mike Laneve said that “Chicago Hope Academy doesn’t discuss school affairs in public.”

Girl's basketball coach charged with child seduction for "affair" with 17 year old sentenced to house arrest

(Original Post 12-20-09)

An Indianapolis girls' basketball coach was charged with child seduction Friday, December 18 for having an "affair" with a 17 year old girl. Investigations believed that Sara Strahm, a 28 year old Pike High School basketball coach, began the "relationship" with her charge earlier in the fall. Pike officials notified police about the alleged relationship.

Sgt. Paul Thompson of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said his agency will give more details of the case Monday, when formal charges are filed. "We believe there were five instances of sexual contact between these two individuals. State law clearly states that if you're under 18, you can't give consent if it's a relationship with someone in a position of trust such as a school official." The Metro police department wants others to come forward just in case there are more victims.

Pike Township School Board member Nancy Poore stated that "I'm saddened to hear of an arrest. I'm not passing judgment on whether this is accurate information or whether anything will be proven against this person. . . . But I'm always saddened when I hear there's a problem related to one of our staff members."

Joe Johnson, a parent of a Pike student, said that "A lot of these parents work a lot of hours, and a coach is like a second family. When you get that trust and you break that, it's really disturbing."

Strahm was released on $5000 bond last night after processing at the Arrestee Processing Center.

(Update 12-24-09) Strahm was officially arraigned on six child seduction charges in an Indanapolis courtroom yesterday. There are more details about the allegetions which led to her arrest.

The affidavit said the 17-year-old student who reportedly was involved with the coach told Tiffany Thomas, another member of the school coaching staff. That information on the allegations was given to Pike Township Schools police and then passed along to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, which started its investigation Friday, the affidavit read.

An e-mail that had been sent to the Pike athletic director tipped investigators to the case. The athletic director, James Perkins, is quoted in the affidavit as saying there had been allegations about teacher and student earlier this autumn, that Strahm had denied the relationship, and that he had warned Strahm about contact with members of the basketball team. Both women initially denied, then admitted to the relationship, according to the affadavit.

The victim claimed she loved Strahm, according to the complaint. "She (the student) said she loves Ms. Strahm and did not want to get her in trouble." Strahm has been replaced by her assistant David Barlow,
father of a former standout.

(Update 12-9-10) Strahm was sentenced to a year in jail, with 185 days suspended and the rest on house arrest after pleading guilty to two counts of child seduction. The guilty plea took place November 22, 2010. In Indiana, child seduction carries a 1 to 3 year prison sentence and occurs when a person in a position of trust has sexual contact with a teen between 16 and 18.

The Marion County Prosecutor's Office said Strahm will be on probation for 185 days and must undergo sex offender treatment. She has a no-contact order with the victim. Strahm was ordered to give up her teaching license. Her felonies will be reduced to misdemeanors if she successfully completes probation.

Besides the above consequences, she was also ordered to undergo 240 hours of community service and fired from her coaching job in January.

Female swim coach charged with sexual abuse of 17 year old girl pleads guilty, sentenced to year in jail

(Original Post 12-6-09)
Sarah Blessing, a 27 year old South Plainfield, NJ woman who is a 5th grade teacher and Edison, NJ swim coach, was charged Wednesday, December 2 with sexually exploiting a 17 year old swim student at Bishop George Ahr High School. Blessing was formally charged with sexual assault, criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a girl, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan and Edison police chief Thomas Bryan.

The relationship lasted for 6 months, from June to her arrest, according to officials, and was found out when Diocese of Metuchen officials notified Edison police. The Metuchen Dioscese fired Blessing from her swim coach job, a job she held for four years. "The Diocese and Bishop Ahr High School is shocked and saddened to learn of these allegations," officials said in a statement [December 1, 2009]. We, of course, take matters of this nature very seriously."

Blessing , a 5th grade teacher at Park Middle School in Scotch Plains, was suspended from that job pending the outcome of her case. She is being held on $150,000 bond without a cash option at the Middlesex County Jail in North Brunswick. Superior Court Judge James Mulvihill has ordered that Blessing not contact her victim.

Authorities ask that anybody with information about Blessing call Investigator Raj Chopra of the prosecutor’s office at (732) 745-3600, or Edison police detectives Michael Michalski or Tim Farrell at (732) 248-7525.

(Update 8-6-10) Blessing plead guilty yesterday to criminal sexual contact and witness tampering in front of MIddlesex County Judge Judge Joseph Paone, according to prosecutors. She must forfeit her teaching certificate and the right to hold public sector jobs in New Jersey. Blessing must also undergo mental health treatment and have no contact with the victim or girls under 18 without supervision.

She is expected to be sentenced to a year in jail when Judge Paone formally sentences Blessing on September 30.

(Update 10-2-10) Blessing was sentenced to 364 days in jail and 5 years probation September 30, 2010 by Judge Paone. At the sentencing hearing,  Assistant Middlesex County Prosecutor Christie Bevacqua said that Blessing met the victim during a troubled period for the girl. The victim's mother asked Blessing to "watch out for her," but instead Blessing "took my daughter's innocence away." ""The betrayal of trust is a huge thing here," said Bevacqua.

Before the sentencing Blessing read a statement saying "I wasn't manipulative. It wasn't predatory. I had feelings for this person."

Blessing will not be allowed to have any contact with the victim or any unsupervised contact with females under the age of 18 and must undergo mental health counseling. Under the sentence, she can no longer teach and will be barred from holding public employment in New Jersey.

Blessing faced a maximum sentence of a decade behind bars. Criminal sexual contact is a felony which lands one on the sex offender list for life under New Jersey's Megan's Law.

Taken from a New Jersey lawyer's site:

Criminal sexual contact is a third degree charge and if a person is convicted of this crime they will face 3 to 5 years in prison, and serious fines. Additionally, the person will be required to register under New Jersey's Megan's law which is a lifelong notification system in which the local community where the offender lives is provided with his personal information and details about the crime for which he was convicted.

Montgomery Township high school teacher sentenced to county prison for abuse of homeroom student

A former Pennsylvania teacher has received a 1 to 23 month prison sentence in the Montgomery County (PA) prison for having sex with a 17 year old boy in her class. 37 year old Heather Zeo plead guilty to misdemeanor corruption of minors charges in exchange for a 1 to 23 month sentence at the county prison.

Zeo allegedly initiated the affair with the teenage boy by sending him a “friend request” from her Facebook page at the end of April 2009, according to court papers. He and another 17-year-old boy communicated with Zeo on the Internet social networking site. Both were in her 11th grade homeroom class, according to DA Risa Vetri Ferman.

Though the other student allegedly had conversations of a sexual nature with Zeo, he told investigators he didn’t have sex with her. The student involved in the affair allegedly “made out” with the woman a half-dozen times in her homeroom class, E-139, during the second and fourth periods when no one else was there, according to the affidavit. At some point during the affair, Zeo told him that rumors were circulating about her and another student.

Despite the rumors, Zeo and the boy continued their relationship. During the second week of May, 2009, they had a heavy petting session at a Montgomery Township strip mall. During a second meeting a few days later at the same place, Zeo and her victim had full sexual intercourse.
 
Because Pennsylvania's age of consent is normally 16, Ferman explained that Zeo was prosecuted because she abused her position of trust in the community. “The big deal is we’re dealing with a teacher, and teacher is in a unique position of trust and authority in both the school and community. We send our children to school to learn math, science and reading, but we don’t expect them to be taught in adult areas. We don’t expect them to be taught about sexual relationships.”

Pottstown (PA) teacher convicted of corruption of minors for sexual relationship with student

A former Pottsgrove High School teacher was convicted yesterday of misdemeanor charges of corruption of a minor in connection with a relationship she had with a 17 year old student of hers. 34 year old Rebecca Ann Harvey, of Stowe, PA, was found guilty after a bench trial presided over by Judge Joseph A. Smyth.

Harvey met the student while she was dating an adult friend of his in July 2008, according to court papers. When the student's friend broke up with Harvey, Harvey allegedly initiated conversation with the student via text message.

In February, Harvey invited the student to her residence where they had sex, with Harvey providing the student transportation to and from her residence, court papers indicate.

According to police, the relationship lasted for five months, until July 14 2009, when police found them in a car with the windows fogged up outside a Pottstown business. Harvey initially told police she thought the boy was 18, and when they figured out that he was a Pottstown High student, she said she didn't know that and that "it's a big school."

The Pottstown School District also investigated Harvey for text messages between her and the victim which took place during March and April 2009. The student, who babysat Harvey's two children, claimed the texting was about his babysitting job, but officials believed the messages, which were deleted before they could review them, were sexual in nature.

After Harvey insisted at her bench trial that the boy was 18 when she met, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Quigg challenged her. "They knew each other about a year. She knew he was a student there. She looked up his academic records which would have showed his age," he said.

Quigg said about the relationship, "She was in a position of authority and trust. She abused that position for her own sexual gratification. The fact you're dealing with a relationship between a student and teacher is what makes this so egregious."

Harvey will be sentenced by Judge Smyth later this year, after a Megan's Law evaluation and pre-sentencing report is completed. She faces 5 to 10 years imprisonment for her crime.

Teacher gets 11.5 to 23 months in prison for "affair" with 17 year old student

A former Council Rock, PA teacher was sentenced to 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison Wednesday, March 10 for a sexual "relationship" with his 17 year old student. 43 year old Robert C. Hawkins was a former math teacher at Council Rock High School South when the "affair" started.

Hawkins had sex with the girl three or four times a week in his Newtown, PA home, and had her research the AOC laws showing that she was over Pensylvania's AOC. The relationship ended last July after police found out about it. Hawkins was charged with corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of a child in December.

Before hearing his sentence, Hawkins, 43, of the 1800 block of Society Place, Newtown, apologized to the court for his actions and the hurt that he caused the family of the victim, his friends, students, the Council Rock School District and the community.

Hawkins said to the court, “A little over a year ago I fell from grace. I made choices that were wrong and utterly disgraced myself and my career as a teacher. I am ashamed, sorrowful and guilt-ridden,” he said. Hawkins, who has lost his job, career, teaching certificate and the respect of many as a result of his actions, told the judge he’s ready to accept his sentence.

His statement to the victim's parents is shown below.

I apologize to the family. There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel horrified by the pain that I caused your daughter and the rest of the family … I hope that you can believe me that I absolutely meant no harm, especially your daughter.

There is no excuse for my decision to engage in a romantic relationship with your daughter,” he said. “As unbelievable and unimaginable as it may sound to some, I truly believe we had fallen in love,” said Hawkins. I was struck up with true admiration, friendship and feelings that spiraled out of control.

There was never anything ugly, manipulative, evil or underhanded in how it evolved. I acted selfishly and I was overcome by emotional response. I allowed my emotions to get in the way of my common sense and judgment. I should have known better. There were boundaries that I shouldn’t have crossed and exercised very poor judgment.

Bucks County Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said that Hawkins “leads two lives -- one where he praises himself as an inspirational teacher and the other where he uses his talent and ability to groom and get close to students so that he can victimize them.”

This summation of Hawkins' character was echoed by the victim's parents. The mother said that "What he did was chillingly pre-meditative. She idolized him. In turn, he used her trust and his authority to target her, pursue her and prey on her during a very vulnerable time of her life. As he groomed her, he told her every step of the way that there was nothing wrong with what they were doing because he loved her and wanted to marry her."

The father said that "Little did we know that the defendant made a practice of grooming students and essentially brainwashing and manipulating them for his own pleasure. He had her under a spell and he was good at it. It's not surprising. He had a lot of practice. If a bright, attractive girl came through, he would steal her youth for his own personal pleasure...The impact is immeasurable.

I will never be able to fully describe all the aspects of our lives that have been forever damaged by these crimes.There is no way to undo the impact, but we will move on and look forward to a future that has the defendant in prison. Maybe in prison he will take the time to reflect on his actions and for the first time take accountability for them. If nothing else, incarceration will prevent him from preying on other vulnerable young women."

Judge Clyde Waite said that instead of falling from grace,  Hawkins' behavior was a ongoing pattern which needed to be stopped. "It gives me no pleasure in doing this, because you have a talent that could be put to a better use. But unless there's some period of incarceration, I don't think you will take it seriously...The manipulation and isolation of impressionable people is pretty much what a pimp does and that’s kind of close to what you were doing here, not just with this young lady but others as well.”

The others referred to by the judge included an 18 year old woman Hawkins used to teach who he had an "affair" with after she graduated.

As part of the sentence, the judge ordered Hawkins to reimburse the victim's family $3,780 for counseling services already rendered to their daughter. In addition, Hawkins will have to pay $540 a month for ongoing counseling for the extent of the victim’s undergraduate education.

Waite also gave Hawkins 10 days to decide whether to participate in a deposition with the Council Rock School District and the District Attorney's office regarding other teachers who may have known about the relationship but never came forward.

Some of those teachers have been fired, and others have resigned as a result of the probe into their possible cover-up of the "affair." Judge Waite said that those teachers, some of which submitted character references for Hawkins, downplayed the seriousness of the crime by their support. "The seriousness of what you have done is accommodated by them, and I don't think it should be," Waite said.

The victim's parents said after the sentencing, Hawkin's punishment "sends a strong message that his reprehensible conduct will not be tolerated," the victim's parents said in a statement afterward. As parents, none of us should have to worry that when we send our children to school they will be preyed upon by their teachers."

Pasadena, MD teacher sentenced to probation for "relationship" with 17 year old student

An Anne Arundel County, MD teacher and coach who had a relationship with a 17 year old student was sentenced to probation yesterday. 29 year old Kristyn Breeds, formerly of Severna Park, currently of Lusby MD, was sentenced to 3 years of probation by Annapolis District Court Judge Thomas Pryal. The probation was offered "before judgement," which allows Breeds to get her record expunged if she stays out of trouble for 6 years.

Breeds faced a year in prison and a $1000 fine, a sentence which still could be handed down if Breeds continued to see her victim. "This relationship was inappropriate and unacceptable, but it was also illegal. This relationship cannot continue.”

The "relationship" started when Breeds and the victim attended Northeast High School in Pasadena, MD. The victim's mother, Celeste McDonald, grew suspicious last May, even though both her son and Breeds denied it.  Breeds kept the "affair" going by using a secret cell phone. The sexual exploitation ended after rumors started spreading around the high school in December.

McDonald said that "I did suspect they were a little bit closer than a normal student and teacher relationship was, but she was also like that with many of the students on the track team. She was their peer more than their mentor."

Breeds was pulled from the classroom on Jan. 4, and suspended when charged 10 days later with three counts of a fourth-degree sex offense. School officials will move to fire the former nominee for teacher of the year. When the teenager was questioned by police he initially tried to protect Breeds, Smith said. According to charging documents, Breeds told police that she and the 17-year-old had sex at the park-and-ride lot on Leelyn Drive in Severna Park, at her Severna Park home and at Queenstown Park.

Prosecutor Michelle Smith said the decision to accept the guilty plea was done to avoid retraumatizing the victim. "We did not want to have to basically retraumatize him by going forward in testimony, so I think it was appropriate that Ms. Breeds pled guilty, admitted what she'd done and it was inappropriate." Smith also said that the victim lied about his involvement to protect his teacher. "The student initially tried to protect Miss Breeds. It was apparent that he cared very much for her."

McDonald said that "The damage she caused in the family, the school and the community is deplorable. She had no right...If you only had just an inkling of what he is going through. I had to withdraw him from high school because of the stigma on him. He will thrive."

McDonald also told the perp that the respect she had from her track players was gone. "The kids on the track team who looked up to you - that's gone now. I am mad, I am mad. Oh my goodness, I am mad."

Suburban Milwaukee teacher, coach charged with sexual assault on female player

A Brown Deer, WI teacher and girls soccer coach has been charged with sexual exploitation of a student by school staff for sexual relationship with one of her soccer players. 26 year old Emily Patterson allegedly started the sexual relationship after the 16 year old victim began having problems with her home life. This eventually led to facebook contact and sleepovers, with Patterson and the girl fondling each other over clothes during a sleepover.

Patterson's contract with the Brown Deer School District ended with the 2008-2009 girls' soccer season. However she was still considered a volunteer coach because of her involvement with an open gym night for girls interested in playing soccer, according to the complaint.

The district said it has remained in dialogue with the Brown Deer Police Department about the investigation, and the school has counselors available. Administrators stated, "The safety and welfare of our students is always the district's highest priority."

Parents of Brown Deer High students said that the case reinforced that parents need to monitor the use of cell phones and social networking sites. Mother Neila Bond stated "Well, I think for one thing, they shouldn't have their home phone number or cell phone number that would be a clue that something might be a little off." 

Another mother, Cynthia Hines, stated that "Check e-mails, check Facebook. Check everything to have a conversation with your child."

Patterson is currently employed as a teacher at Mukwanago High School. Brown Deer and Mukwanago are suburbs of Milwaukee, WI.

Allanah Benton-Wells, Flint, MI ex-teacher, gets 25-38 years for sex with 12 year old student

While we're on the subject of hefty punishment for sexual assault, as shown by many of the recent sentencings below, Allanah Benton-Wells, a Flint, MI teacher was sentenced to 25 to 38 years imprisonment yesterday for her sexual abuse of a 12 year old boy who she was supposed to have been tutoring around Halloween 2007. The victim wasn't a student in her regular classes at Williams Elementary School, according to Flint Schools spokesman Bob Campbell.

Benton-Wells, who has a history of dating younger men, was convicted on two counts of 1st degree criminal sexual conduct on December 22. Her ex-husband said that Benton-Wells had been in the presence of the boy late at night when he was shirtless and she was in a nightgown. The boy himself testified before running away that Benton-Wells told him to keep their sexual encounters a secret.

At Benton-Wells' sentencing, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Michelle Richardson cited the running away as proof of the damage inflicted by the encounters.

Richardson said the victim was a troubled child before his relationship Benton-Wells, where he considered her his “girlfriend,” but his behavior, respect for authority and his attitude toward women have gotten worse since that time. "She took a 12-year-old student under the guise of monitoring and made him a man in his eyes,” Richardson said.

Prosecutor David Leyton said that the crimes, which ripped apart the families of both the victim and the perpetrator, merited a long sentence. “If a teacher or any grown up has sex with someone who is under the age of 13, the sentence should be severe.” He also said that teachers should treat their students "like gold," and  "should keep their hands off.”

Genessee County Judge Geoffrey L. Neithercut, after complaining the mandatory 25 year minimum for 1st degree criminal sexual conduct tied his hands, sentenced Benton-Wells to 25-38 years in prison.  “I heard these words during the trial, ‘a school teacher having sex with her sixth-grade student is the most disgusting, reprehensible thing we can imagine.’ That’s why you’re going to prison."

Benton-Wells maintained her innocence through the trial, and said just before sentencing, "I didn’t commit any of these acts, and I’m innocent...I maintain my innocence and that’s all I can do." She'll appeal the sentence, according to her attorney Michael Cronkright. “She thinks the jury got it wrong,” he said.

Female teacher caught with 16 year old student sentenced to 5 months jail, decade of probation

(Original Post 12-28-08)
Melissa Diana Koehn, a 30 year old teacher, was charged with 4th degree criminal sexual conduct by the Dakota County Attorney's Office Tuesday. The West St. Paul St. Croix Lutheran High School social studies teacher was booked Sunday and charged Tuesday with 3 counts of CSC. Koehn was released on $10,000 bail after undergoing a hearing under Judge Mary Theisen.

Under Minnesota law, a person as young as 16 is old enough to consent to a sexual relationship. The law, however, prohibits a teacher, coach or person in a position of authority over a young person to have sexual contact with someone age 16 or 17.

This is the sixth time in 10 years that a teacher or coach in Dakota County has been charged with criminal sexual contact involving a student, said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom.

An Apple Valley police officer investigating a suspicious vehicle on December 20 found Koehn and the victim kissing. The teenage girl was still wearing her school jacket, and the officer turned the teen over to her parents while a detective investigated the case.

Koehn taught and coached the girl during the 2007-8 school year, and stayed in the girl's bedroom after taking a leave of absence from the school for professional development. The victim and Koehn began going to movies and shopping, with the parents of the victim letting the woman slep over at their daughter's room on occasion. Koehn's permanent address is in Kenosha, WI.

Koehn acknowledged taking part in some sexual encounters in that bedroom. The AOC in Minnesota is 16, but increases to 18 when a teacher, coach or other person in a position of authority has a relationship with a teen.

She also acknowledged she still "exercised some authority" over the student, according to charges. When interviewed by police, the student referred to her as "Ms. Koehn."

This is the sixth time in 10 years that a teacher or coach in Dakota County has been charged with criminal sexual contact involving a student, said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom.

Koehn made her initial court appearance [December 23] morning before Judge Mary Theisen, who set bail at $50,000 or $10,000 with conditions. Koehn's next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 9 in Hastings.

Gene Pfeifer, president of St. Croix Lutheran, said that Koehn taught 10th and 11th grade social studies and coached girls junior varsity basketball for the past 7 years. He also said that the did not know about the sexual misconduct, and that "We don't condone any type of activity like this on the part of any employee or past employee of the school. We are cooperating with the authorities in their investigation."

(Update 11-21-09) After a two day trial and 3 1/2 hours of deliberation, a Dakota County jury has found Koehn guilty of three counts of 4th degree criminal sexual conduct. The jury found that the victim's vulnerability was an aggravating factor, meaning that Koehn faces prison instead of the guideline sentence maximum of a year in jail. The guilty verdict happened Friday, November 20.

Under Minnesota law, sexual contact with a 16- or 17-year-old is a felony if the perpetrator is at least four years older and in a position of authority over a teen. Koehn, who began an unofficial mentoring relationship with the girl her sophomore year, had previously coached her in basketball, and the teen referred to her as "Ms. Koehn" from the witness stand.

Koehn's trial opened Wednesday with prosecutors asking the teen whether she had sexual contact with Koehn, her former history teacher. The student, now 18, denied that anything sexual had occurred, and then, when pressed, said she couldn't remember.

Assistant Dakota County Attorney Larry Clark played audiotapes which belied the victim's testimony, but Koehn's defense attorney Richard Ohlenberg said the encounters, which took place during a leave of absence by Koehn, were not a manipulation of a position of trust and that they were limited to kissing and social contact.

Dakota County District Court Judge Robert King will formally sentence Koehn on February 5.

(Update 2-6-10) Koehn was formally sentenced to 5 months in jail and 10 years probation by Judge Robert King Jr yesterday. Minnesota sentencing guidelines call for no jail time, but Judge King cited the multiple sex acts in the girl's bedroom and the victim's emotional vulerability in the jail sentence. King also said that he did not believe Koehn set out to intentionally groom her victim. "I think you are a very conflicted person. I think you just fell into temptation." King also imposed a 3 year suspended sentence and a $200 fine.

Friday, Koehn told the judge that she knew she had done wrong. She also told the girl's mother that she had waited a year to apologize. "I never meant to hurt you or your family," Koehn said, adding that she felt "horribly."

"It may be sincere," prosecutor Lawrence Clark said of the apology, "but it's too little and it's too late."

Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said that “It is always troubling to see incidents of this nature. While a person who is 16 years old can generally consent to a sexual relationship under Minnesota law, it is against the law regardless of consent for a teacher or a coach to have sexual contact with a 16-17-year old student over whom they have a position of authority.”

Special ed teacher who had sex with 18 year old student pleads guilty to misdemeanor

(Original Post 8-28-09)
A suburban Cincinnati former teacher and mother was charged with having a "consensual" sexual relationship with a Winton Woods High School student who she tutored. The high school is located in Forest Park, OH. Mary Ems, a 43 year old special education teacher, resigned in March after having sex with the boy, who was not in any classes with Ems. According to Forest Park police, the sex occurred off grounds.

Ems, a divorced mother of two, was not charged with felony sexual battery, the crime alluded to in the police report. If she had been charged and convicted of that, she would have had to report as a sex offender, said Julie Wilson, spokeswoman for the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office.
The victim also would have had to testify, something he is reluctant to do, school and police officials have said.

Instead, Ems' attorney and prosecutors reached an agreement on the misdemeanor sex charge, which holds a maximum sentence of six months upon conviction but no requirement to report as an offender. The charge [usually] refers to having sex with a child between the ages of 13 and 16.
In Ohio, minors are defined as those who are 18 and have not finished high school as well as those under 18.

(Update 9-15-09)
Ems formally pleaded guilty to the unlawful sexual contact with a minor charge as scheduled before Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Melba Marsh. According to Assistant Prosecutor Anne Flanagan, the victim's non-cooperation prevented her for going after a felony conviction. Instead, the plea to the unlawful contact and surrender of teaching license will allow Ems to escape both a felon and sex offender stigma. Ems' formal sentencing will be October 29, and she can be sentenced to up to 6 months in jail, but the judge is leaning towards probation.

(Update 11-5-09) Ems was formally sentenced by Common Pleas Court Judge Melba Marsh to 2 years probation yesterday. However, Ems' position at Union Christian Post Graduate Academy, a school for teenage boys 17 and older, concerned Judge Marsh. Marsh also sentenced Ems to continue counseling and to undergo a polygraph test. "I want to verify that no other child comes into contact with you and becomes a victim," Marsh said, and if Ems did not conduct herself appropriately, "We have a Hamilton County jail for individuals who can't conduct themselves as they should."

Vancouver, WA teacher sentenced to 17 1/2 months for exploiting student

Clark County Superior Court Judge Roger Bennett sentenced former Vancouver (WA) Christian High School teacher to 17 1/2 months in prison for sexually abusing a 16 year old student he coached last Friday, October 16. The sentence was 2 1/2 months above the joint submission by the prosecution and defense. Judge Bennett did so because of 42 year old Richard Gail Parrett's position of trust and authority over the victim.

Parrett was originally charged with 4 counts of 1st degree sexual misconduct for a sexual relationship he had with a 16 year old student he had coached in basketball, track, and weightlifting. Two counts were dropped for Parrett's guilty plea of September 10. The sexual exploitation started in mid-January with flirty texts, and escalated into four sexual encounters, two in the victim's home and the other two in Parrett's SUV. All incidents took place in Vancouver, WA.

Before Friday's sentencing, she addressed the court, telling of the turmoil she'd endured in light of the case. She hurt her parents. She felt violated. And she's felt condemned at school since the news broke.

"My most prevalent emotion is confusion," she said, her voice wavering. "My innocence has been stolen and my virginity taken." Lastly, she had some words for Parrett. "I want him to know that I don't hate him," she said. "And I hope he finds forgiveness in Christ."

While Judge Bennett acknowledged the former teacher's remorse, he said that the consequences "go far beyond the people involved." In Washington, 1st degree sexual misconduct takes place when a teacher enters into a sexual relationship with a student above WA's AOC, which is 16. The law applies to high school students who happen to be legal adults after a revision earlier this year.

Female Missassauga teacher gets year probation for "affair" with student

Leslie Merlino, a 29 year old former Missassauga, ON teacher who had a sexual affair with a student, was sentenced to a year of probation after continuing contact with that same female student even after a court order prohibited it. Besides the probation, Merlino will be listed as a sex offender for 20 years, and was ordered to submit a DNA sample to Canada's DNA database. The charges Merlino officially plead guilty to were sexual exploitation, breach of probation and failure to comply with a court order.

By all accounts, Merlino was one of the best-liked teachers at the Streetsville school, where she taught Spanish and French to Grade 10 and 11 students, including her young lover.

The friendship between teacher and student blossomed into an infatuation on a European high school trip in March 2006.Later, she stroked the girl's hair and began sending emails. That would lead to an assault charge and a court order to stay away from the student.

From January to September 2007, they exchanged sexually explicit emails and talked frequently on the phone and in person.

They held hands during strolls and met secretly in coffee shops. They kissed and fondled each other in their more private moments. By late summer of 2007, the suspended teacher and former student had become lovers.

The trip to Quebec City Merlino took with her young charge the fall of 2007 did her clean criminal record in, as on October 12, 2007, police officers saw Merlino and her former student get into a car together in Toronto.

Merlino spent 2 1/2 months in jail before being released on conditions which included a curfew. Justice Bruce Durno took that into account in not sentencing Merlino to more jail time, stating that he would have done so if the curfew was not in place. "A career has been lost ... these offences are serious, a flagrant breach of court orders. Regardless of the (victim's) wishes, it was Merlino who was in a position of trust and authority."

The sentence was a joint submission (Canadian version of a plea deal) with Peel Crown prosecutor Kelly Slate and Merlino's defense attorney Gerald Logan. "This is a tragic tale of woman who succumbed to temptation and destroyed her career," Logan said.

Neither the student nor her parents were in court. The student, who cannot be identified, did not file a victim impact statement, and asked to be "left alone" in an email to the Star.

The student's parents, who live in Mississauga, declined to comment.

The 20-year-old's relationship status on Facebook is listed as "engaged."

In a Facebook note "25 things about me," she has written: "Sometimes, I freak out, that I made a mistake. And I shouldn't be with the person I'm with. Other times, I don't know how we've managed to spend so much time apart."

Merlino, who stopped teaching in 2007, had her teaching license permanently revoked Ontario College of Teachers this spring for professional misconduct. She's currently living with her mother in London, ON.

The Canadian age of consent is 16, unless the adult is in a position of trust like a teacher or other professional, in which case the AOC rises to 18. The age of consent, not called the age of protection, was raised from 14 effective May 1, 2008.

Connecticut drama teacher pleads guilty to sex with 17, 18 year old students

A Connecticut man who was a high school teacher pleaded guilty to two counts of 2nd degree sexual assault for entering into sexual relationships with two of his students, one 17 and the other 18. The relationships lasted from spring of 2008 to fall of 2008, according to prosecutors.

Though 16 is Connecticut's age of consent in most situations, teacher student sex is considered to be sexual assault even if the student is over 16 (or for that matter, 18). Russell Andrews, a 34 year old Lebanon, CT resident, plead guilty Wednesday, September 10, in New London Superior Court during a scheduled court appearance.

Andrews, the former chorus and drama club director, was arrested in the wake of a police investigation started in December after rumors started circulating around [Montville High School] that he was in a relationship with a 17-year-old student.

Andrews and the student engaged in consensual sex in the school auditorium, police said.

Further investigation uncovered a second victim, another former student, who admitted having sex with Andrews on numerous occasions during her senior year at the school. Andrews claims he did not have sex with the student until she was 18.

State prosecutor John Gravalec-Pannone will recommend a sentence of 14 years in prison, suspended after 7 years, and 20 years probation. The plea agreement meant that the 6 counts of 2nd degree sexual assault Andrews faced is now only two. Andrews must spend nine months in prison because that's the minimum mandatory sentence for 2nd degree sexual assault in Connecticut. Judge Susan B. Handy will preside over Andrews' sentencing, scheduled for November 10.