An Illinois teacher is facing criminal charges after being accused of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student. The woman has been arrested and charged with a single count of enticing a minor. She came under investigation for a sex crime after school officials were told by another student about the alleged relationship.
The student claimed the teen had been bragging about the encounter and reportedly showed him a cell phone video. The contents of the video were not divulged. When officials at the school questioned the teacher, she allegedly admitted to inappropriate behavior and sexual contact. She is not the boy’s current teacher, but the two met when he was in her art class the prior year. Reports state she had been assisting him with some of his school work, but the two were also communicating by text messages.
Those messages purportedly became sexual, eventually leading to federal charges. When text messages of that nature are involved, it can become a matter of interstate commerce because it involves the use of the Internet. In addition, she is accused of sending the teenager nude photos and allegedly engaged him in sex inside of a classroom at the school. The woman faces a maximum 40-year prison sentence, although that result is not expected.
She was being held in federal custody and was reportedly awaiting a bond hearing. When an Illinois resident faces a sex crime allegation, the mere allegation can damage their reputation and employment status. Many times, the ultimate disposition of a criminal charge is substantially less than the original allegations, and sometimes the charges are dismissed altogether or result in an acquittal after trial. Regrettably, the publicity at the end of many criminal proceedings is far less than the publication of the original charges. As this woman confronts the claims made against her, she will need to ensure her rights are protected so as to receive the impartial and fair hearing to which she is entitled.
Source: pjstar.com, “Manual teacher facing federal charges for alleged sex with student,” Andy Kravetz, Feb. 15, 2013