An Andalusia middle school teacher recently pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree sodomy for performing oral sex on several students, The Andalusia Star-News reports.
While it appears there is a nationwide increase in sex cases involving students and teachers, what’s important to understand is that everyone is considered innocent until proven guilty (or enters a plea). That’s what our Constitution guarantees and while news of arrests can be daunting, the facts as displayed in an arrest report aren’t always the facts played out at trial.
It is plausible that male students would make up stories of sexual romps with female teachers to try to impress their friends. That’s not always the case, but it takes a Birmingham Sexual Crimes Lawyer to sort out the facts and aggressively defend every client charged with a sexual crime. Sex crimes in Alabama carry severe penalties and require an experienced attorney.
In the case in Andalusia, the special education teacher was accused of performing oral sex on two different students on two occasions inside her vehicle between November and February. According to the news story, the students weren’t her students.
As part of her 15-year sentence, she will have to serve three years in prison, minus credit for the time she has already served in jail. After the three years, she will have to spend 12 years on probation. Additional conditions of her plea agreement include:
- Resign from the school system
- Surrender her teaching certificate and license to teach
- Register as a sex offender
- Submit a DNA sample
It’s evident that the punishment is severe for this teacher. She will forfeit her career and live her life as a convicted sex offender. That’s on top of three years in a state prison followed by more than a decade of probation costs and monitoring by the state. She will have to deal with a probation officer anytime she wants to go anywhere or do anything.
According to the Alabama Code, Section 13A-6-64, second-degree sodomy means engaging in sex with someone who is between 12 and 16 or someone who is incapable of consent based on their mental capacity.
The Daily Mail, a United Kingdom newspaper, wrote about the Andalusia case as well as the cases of other female teachers accused of having sex with male students. A Virginia psychologist told the paper that society has become enamored with the idea of older women and younger men, as seen on television. He said the idea is trendy and is seen as a badge of honor for younger men.
And with social networking sites, it has become easier for teachers to communicate with students. He said there aren’t boundaries like there used to be between students and teachers.
While none of this is acceptable, it may explain why there has been an uptick in this particular type of crime. Being convicted of this type of crime could haunt the person in prison, after the prison term has ended and far beyond, so fighting it is the only option.
If you need to speak with a Birmingham sex crimes attorney, contact attorney Steven D. Eversole at 205-981-2450 for a free consultation.
