Philip Gregory Speers, 35, a former second grade teacher at St. Francis of Assisi School in Yuma, Arizona convicted of two counts of molestation of a child in a retrial early this month has been sentenced.

Speers was sentenced to 17 years in prison on each count, with the sentences by law required to run consecutive for a total of 34 years in prison.

Following the sentencing, Speers mother Charlotte said, “Yuma County taxpayers need to know this is not how this case will end. The prosecution cannot win the case against Greg in a fair trial. There are so many reversible errors, it will once again be overturned by the higher courts. Every time we go back to trial, more of the truth is revealed and more counts are dropped. In the end, Greg will be found totally innocent and will be a free man. We aren’t ever going to give up on this, no matter how long it takes”.

Speers was credited with the 2,553 days previously served, dating back to his original conviction, which was over-turned on appeal.

Speers is awaiting a retrial for the 2002 conviction on two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor for having child pornography on his computer. That conviction was also over-turned. He was originally sentenced to 34 years total on those counts.

Reference:

Ex-teacher Speers sentenced to 34 years (8/30/07)

View All Bad Bad Teacher Coverage of the Cases Of Philip Gregory Speers

Paul Held, 69, a retired teacher who prior to retirement in 2003 taught at Bedford Middle School, in Westport, Connecticut has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to receiving child pornography.

Held came to attention of authorities in August 2005 when he left a CD containing child pornography in a laptop computer which he borrowed and returned to a neighbor.

When investigators searched Held’s residence they seized six computers, three external hard drives and over 1,000 CD’s all of which allegedly contained child pornography. Held’s child pornography collection was alleged to contain between 3 and 4 million images classified as child pornography, some of the images were of children as young as 2 years old. Investigators said that Held also possessed numerous magazines, photos and VHS tapes containing child pornography.

In March of this year Held pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.

In addition to serving ten years in federal prison, Held was also ordered to pay a $30,000 fine, register as a sex offender when released from prison, undergo a lifetime of supervised release and is prohibited from having contact with children under age 18 without the supervision of an adult who is familiar with his criminal history

References:

Former teacher sentenced to prison for collecting child porn (8/30/07)

Ex-Teacher Gets 10 Years For Enormous Child Porn Collection (8/30/07)

Former teacher sentenced to prison for collecting child porn (8/30/07)

Background:

Former middle school teacher held on porn charges (8/05/2005)

Former Bedford Teacher Ordered Jailed (8/05/2005)

Former Westport Teacher Pleads Guilty on Child Porn Charges (3/26/07)

Dru Jefferson, 27, a former assistant basketball coach for West Prairie-LaHarpe school systems near Sciota, Illinois and recently hired as an assistant coach for the West Prairie team has been charged with three counts of criminal sexual assault and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a female student.

Three separate cases have been filed against Jefferson, all alleging the same victim, a female student who was 16 and 17-years-old at the time of the alleged offenses between the summer of 2006 to June 2007. Reportedly the girl was a basketball player whom Jefferson coached.

Reportedly Jefferson was an assistant girls basketball coach for the West Prairie-LaHarpe sports coop for the past two years before being hired by West Prairie this year. School officials indicate that Jefferson resigned his new position before the start of the season.

Jefferson was arrested on Tuesday and released on $50,000 bond on Wednesday.

References:

Former coach faces sex abuse charges (8/30/07)

Former coach charged (8/29/07)

John McNair, 59, a former science teacher at Belleview Middle School and a former substitute teacher at Jim Allen Elementary School, both in Escambia County, Florida has been arrested on federal child pornography charges and also charges alleging the possession of obscene materials.

McNair came to the attention of authorities owing to crank/threatening phone calls that were allegedly traced to McNair’s residence. Calls during which the caller threatens to molest a grandchild if you hang up.

When FBI agents searched McNair’s home they allegedly found on his computer 160,000 pornographic images, three thousand images printed out mostly of children, 100 nude Barbie dolls, children’s underwear and in woods behind McNair’s house they discovered a “bunker” and inside it a little girl’s dollhouse.

Following his arrest McNair is being held in the Escambia County Jail.

Although McNair has no arrest records for sex crimes, authorities fear there are victims and are asking anyone with information call the FBI at (850) 432-3476.

McNair’s fiancee, Frances Hinely, 58, has been suspended with pay from her job as technology coordinator at Jim Allen Elementary School. A spokesperson for the school system said the district is investigating the extent of her knowledge of the events that led up to the arrest of her fiancee.

Earlier this week at a court hearing Hinely testified that she knew McNair had a cache of pornography on his computer and in his home, but had no clue that any of the images included children.

References:

Jim Allen teacher suspended

Former teacher arrested on sex charges (8/29/07)

Former Teacher Facing Child Porn Charges (8/30/07)

David Eugene Grey, 70, former third-grade teacher at Dana Elementary School in Nipomo, California found guilty last month of a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a child has been sentenced.

Grey was sentenced to 180 days in San Luis Obispo County Jail for kissing one of his 9-year-old female students.

The maximum sentence to which Grey was subject was one year, the County Probation Department recommended 270 days in jail but Judge Michael Duffy felt the recommendation was too harsh and instead set the sentence at 180 days.

Grey’s attorney immediately filed an appeal of the sentence and the judge stayed the sentence until there is a ruling on Grey’s appeal.

Grey has been ordered not to have any communication or contact with girls under 18 and to stay 2,000 feet away from schools, parks and daycare facilities.

Reference:

Ex-teacher sentenced to 180 days, attorney files appeal (8/29/07)

View All Bad Bad Teacher Coverage of the Case of David Eugene Grey