Archive for June, 2009
(01/xx/09 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
Brittany Sumrall Johnson, 26, an English Teacher and girls’ basketball coach at Kilbourne High School, in Kilbourne, Louisiana has been accused of soliciting sex from a 14-year-old male student via e-mail messages on MySpace.
The West Carroll Parish Sheriff’s Office which conducted an investigation into the allegations submitted its report to Fifth District Attorney, William Coenen Jr. on January 9th.
On the same day, Johnson, in her fourth year with the school, was suspended with pay until the investigation was concluded. Johnson was given a written reprimand, and her school computer has been confiscated although school officials do not believe any of the alleged communications originated from the school.
Reportedly some of the e-mails stated:
“And oh my gosh did u look hot! I can’t wait 4 u 2 play varsity (so) we can hook up on the bus on the way home lol!,”; “oh yea and in the closet, I so wanted to grab you and pull u in there and shut that door and take full advantage of you…”; and “has anyone ever told u that u have a fine a— and body?”
Media reports indicate that several of the e-mails reminded the boy to delete the messages and not to share their relationship.
The boy’s family says that Johnson had been sending the alleged illicit e-mails to the boy since October.
This charge contains the “transmission of an electronic textual communication or an electronic visual communication depicting lewd or lascivious conduct, text, or images to any person reasonably believed to be under the age of 17 and reasonably believed to be at least two years younger than the offender.”
On January 14 Brittany Johnson reportedly resigned her position as eighth grade English language arts teacher and girl’s basketball coach, saying she felt it would be better for her family and the school.
The electronic communications can include internet chat rooms, electronic mail or on-line messaging services.
This charge carries a fine of not more than $5,000, or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than seven years, or both.
06/30/09 – Guilty Plea and Sentencing
Brittany Sumrall Johnson admitted sending sexually suggestive emails to a 14-year-old male student and has pleaded guilty to a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
As a result, Johnson was sentenced to a suspended a 6-month jail term, two years of supervised probation, ordered not to teach or have contact with anyone under the age of 17.
(06/30/09 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
In March, Salvatore Graci, a former sixth-grade teacher at St. Bernadette of Lourdes School in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court in Philadelphia to possessing child pornography.
As a result of that guilty plea, Graci faced a possible sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and registration as a sex offender.
On June 29, 2009, Graci, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lawrence F. Stengel who told Graci he was giving him a “huge break”.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ewald Zittlau asked for a sentence at the top of the advisory sentencing-guideline range of 51 to 63 months in federal prison.
Defense attorney A. Charles Peruto Jr. said Graci was not the typical child pornography consumer nor a predator. Peruto said that Graci had a history of “striking out” with women and subscribed to the child-porn Web sites in order to find a “virgin” and to learn how to have sex.
A psychiatrist testified that Graci he had an “infantile view of sex” but was not a pedophile.
Graci told the court, “I was just looking for a virgin. I did not know that what I was doing was criminally wrong, and if I did I would certainly not have done so.”
Judge Stengel sentenced Salvatore Graci to one day in prison to by followed by 10 years of supervised release.
Graci is required to register as a sex offender and is prohibited contact with school-age children and will have his computer monitored by the probation office.
Reportedly, Graci taught at Presentation BVM Parish Elementary School in Wynnewood from 1997-1999, Waldron Mercy Academy in Merion Station from 1999-2000 and St. Bernadette’s in Drexel Hill from 2000-2003 and was working as an instructional technology support specialist in the Souderton Area School District until his resignation in November, 2007.
(04/17/08 – Initial BBT Report)
Corey DeHart, a math teacher at Halls High School in Knoxville, Tennessee has been indicted by a Knox County grand jury on charges of statutory rape and sexual battery by an authority figure.
DeHaret came to the attention of authorities in September by way of complaint from a female student. He was placed on paid administrative leave at that time.
His status was changed to unpaid leave in December.
After being booked into the Knox County Jail DeHart was released on $50,000 bond
05/13/08 – Trial Date Set
Corey DeHart has been scheduled for trial on November 17th on charges of statutory rape and sexual battery by an authority figure.
DeHart remains free on $50,000 bond.
11/17/08 – Charges Dismissed
Prosecutors today dropped charges against Corey DeHart, a Halls High School teacher accused of having sex with a student.
Of the dropping of charges the prosecutor was quoted as saying, “Basically our case evaporated”. This in light of evidence that reportedly called into question the account of DeHart’s accuser and “explained away” what prosecutors had thought was evidence backing up the student’s claim.
DeHart’s status with the school system is yet to be clarified.
06/30/09 – Corey DeHart To Appear Before School Board
Corey DeHart is to appear before the Knox County School Board today to dispute alleged sexual activity with a female student, who is also scheduled to appear at the hearing.
Knox County School Superintendent Jim McIntyre last month recommended DeHart’s termination.
All criminal charges against DeHart were dropped and the prosecutor said, “Basically our case evaporated”. This after DeHart’s defense attorney uncovered proof that punched holes in evidence of the teenager’s claims.
DeHart has been suspended without pay since December, 2007.
He began teaching at Halls, his alma mater, in 1998 and was tenured in 2001.
References:
Halls High teacher to dispute charges of sex with student (06/30/09)
Student-sex charges dropped against Halls High teacher (11/17/08)
November trial set for Halls teacher accused of sex with student (05/13/08)
Halls teacher accused of sexual battery (04/17/08)
Halls High teacher charged with having sex with student (04/17/08)
(10/25/08 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
William Arthur Stevens, 22, a former substitute teacher in the Twin Falls School District and an eighth grade volleyball coach at Vera C. O’Leary Junior High School, both in Twin Falls, Idaho, has been arrested and charged on allegations of the sexual abuse of a 15-year-old boy.
Stevens is charged with two felony counts of sex abuse of a child under 16, four felony counts of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 and a misdemeanor count of obscene material, a misdemeanor. The latter charge alleges that Stevens sent pictures of naked women to the boy’s cell phone.
It is alleged that in September Stevens asked the boy to hang out with him and that they drove around for a while and eventually end up at an the entrance to an RV park where numerous sex acts occurred between Stevens and the boy.
It is alleged that in a phone call between the boy and Stevens and which was recorded by police that Stevens made incriminating statements.
It is further alleged that Stevens admitted to police that he and the boy kissed, masturbated each other, and engaged in oral sex.
Stevens, who faces a maximum possible punishment of four life sentences plus 50 years, was being held in the Twin Falls County Jail on $101,000 bond with a preliminary hearing set for October 31st.
11/01/08 – Preliminary Hearing and Bond Reduction
On Friday a preliminary hearing was held for William Stevens.
At that hearing the judge lowered his bond from $100,000 to $20,000 on the felony charges.
The judge ordered Stevens to surrender his passport to the court if released on bond. If released on bond Stevens will be under house arrest at his parents’ residence.
01/07/09 – Preliminary Hearing Waived
William Stevens has waived his preliminary hearing and been bound over to 5th District Court on 2 felony counts of sex abuse of a child under 16, 4 felony counts of lewd conduct, and 1 misdemeanor charge of distribution of obscene material.
Reportedly Stevens is free on $20,000 bond.
04/10/09 – Guilty Plea In the Works
KMVT TV reports that William Arthur Stevens has requested to change his plea to guilty.
Stevens is set to appear before Fifth District Judge Randy Stoker on April 20th to change his plea to guilty.
04/20/09 – Plea Deal and Guilty Plea
William Arthur Stevens has reportedly pleaded guilty to one count of lewd conduct with a minor.
Prosecutors in turn dropped two counts of sexual abuse of a minor and three other counts of lewd conduct with a minor.
Under the terms of the plea deal, Stevens will be sentenced to 12 years in prison with six of those fixed, and six of them indeterminate.
Sentencing is set for June 15th.
06/29/09 – Sentencing Delayed
Sentencing for William Arthur Stevens, scheduled for today, has been delayed until July 13th.
References:
Former teacher makes deal for guilty plea (04/20/09)
Substitute teacher wants to change plea in sex abuse case (04/10/09)
Sex abuse case bound over to district court (01/06/09)
Former Twin Falls substitute’s bond reduced (11/01/08)
Former substitute charged with child sex crimes (10/25/08)
(11/20/08 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
Deene Stuart Juncker, 47, a former drama teacher and yearbook advisor at Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, an all-girls middle and high school in Bellevue, Washington, has been booked into King County Jail for investigation of sexual misconduct with a minor.
Juncker, who reportedly turned himself in to Bellevue Police earlier this week has allegedly acknowledged a relationship with a student, a relationship which “crossed” professional boundaries.
Reportedly Juncker first came to the attention of school officials in February when the girl’s mother learned about text messages Juncker had been sending her daughter and alerted the school. The girl’s mother told officials she was worried about the frequency of the messages, as well as the hours at which they were sent. As a result Juncker was told he was not to send the student any more messages not related to school.
Allegedly, months later, the mother caught Juncker parked near the family’s home, prompting Juncker to confess to school officials that he had been carrying on an improper relationship with the student.
The school notified police and Child Protective Services and Juncker subsequently resigned from the school.
Police say that e-mails exchanged between Juncker and the student are troubling, especially one in which Juncker alleged wrote, “”How I loved having the chance to truly make love to you the way I have always wanted”.
Police say that Juncker and the student had a rendezvous in a lavish hotel room.
11/21/08 – Juncker Officially Charged
Today prosecutors filed three counts of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor against Deene Juncker.
It is alleged that in reviewing Juncker’s e-mail and financial records, police found evidence that Juncker and the girl had been sexually involved for several months. It is also alleged that the two stayed together at a posh Bellevue hotel, and had intended to spend a summer in Europe after the girl graduated.
On Friday, prosecutors requested that Juncker’s bail amount be increased to $50,000, an effort to keep him behind bars pending trial however the judge ruled that Juncker’s bail would remain $15,000.
If convicted, Juncker faces up to 4 ½ years in prison.
12/04/08 – Not Guilty Plea
Deene Juncker has entered a not guilty plea to all charges.
05/27/09 – Guilty Plea Reported
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that Deene Stuart Juncker has pleaded guilty to two felony counts of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor.
Reportedly, sentencing is set for June 26th and Juncker faces 15 to 20 months in prison.
Juncker was freed on bail, pending sentencing.
06/29/09 – Sentencing
On Friday, reportedly Deene Juncker’s 48th birthday, he was sentenced to 20 months in prison, the maximum sentence possible, as a result of his earlier guilty plea on two felony counts of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor.
In addition to the 20 months in prison, following his release Juncker will be required to serve three years of community supervision.
Juncker will also be required to register as a sex offender for ten years, is barred permanently from working with children and is prohibited from contacting the girl, her family or anyone at Forest Ridge
(06/26/09 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
Michael Brohard, 31, a teacher and coach at Walton Middle School in Walton, West Virginia has reportedly been arrested on allegations of solicitation of a minor.
It is alleged that Brohard solicited the 13-year-old female student through text messages on June 19th and 20th.
Reportedly, Brohard was arrested on Wednesday night by the Roane County Sheriff’s Department and was subsequently released on $50,000 bond.
Brohard has a preliminary hearing set for July 6th.