An ex-teacher at West Morris Mendham High School in Mendham New Jersey recently admitted to having sex with a student.
Law enforcement opened an investigation into the suspect in December 2014 after the student came forward and said that she had sex with him at least twice. At the time, the suspect was working as an English teacher at the Mendham high school.
According to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect and the student had sex at the suspect’s home in Mount Olive, NJ. The first time they had sex was on on May 31, 2014, just one day after the high school’s senior prom.
Beyond that, investigators discovered that the suspect had inappropriately communicated with two other students at West Morris Mendham High School. Investigators said that the suspect sent the students photographs in which she was wearing just a bra or towel.
The 33-year-old suspect, who lives in Mount Olive, New Jersey, was charged with official misconduct. Since student with whom she had sex was above the age of 18, the suspect did not face criminal charges for a sex offense like sexual assault or criminal sexual contact.
While the charges were still pending, high school officials suspended the suspect from her teaching job.
Now the suspect has formally pleaded guilty to the second degree official misconduct charges in Morris County Superior Court in Morristown. The guilty plea came after the suspect reached a plea deal with prosecutors.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, the suspect will enter the NJ Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) program for a period of 36 months. So long as the suspect successfully completes the requirements of the alternative sentencing program, the criminal conviction will be removed from her permanent record. However, if the suspect does not meet the requirements of the PTI program, she could potentially be sentenced to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison.
For further information about this case, read the NJ.com article, “N.J. Teacher Admits to Having Sex with 18-Year-Old Student.”