Monica Ann Cluck, 25, a kindergarten teacher at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, in Paragould, Arkansas has resigned and been arrested on allegations of first-degree sexual assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Cluck is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old.

Cluck came to the attention of authorities when her husband Jeffery provided sheriff’s deputies with a videotape which reportedly shows her having sex with a teenager and providing the teen with alcohol.

Reportedly Jeffery Cluck had suspicions his wife was involved sexually with members of the Singing Hands sign-language choir at her church and went to the authorities.

Following her arrest, Monica Cluck was released without bond.

Update 8/15/07:

Monica Cluck is now facing two counts of sexual assault in the first degree.

A second boy has come forward telling authorities that he too had a sexual relationship with Monica Cluck. Reportedly the boy was 15-years-old at the time and the relationship occurred between last year and May of this year.

As was the case with the first alleged male victim, the second is also a member of a church group Cluck taught at Marmaduke First Baptist Church.

It is now being reported that Monica Cluck was released on $5,000 bond and has a court appearance set for tomorrow.

06/19/08 - Guilty On All Counts

It took the jury only one hour of deliberation to return a verdict of guilty on all charges against Monica Cluck.

At trial Cluck admitted having sex with the 17-year-old boy. Her defense centered on a contention that at the time Cluck became sexually involved with the 17-year-old that she was no long in a position of “trust and authority” over him.

On the witness stand Cluck denied any sexual contact with the 15-year-old.

She did however admit permitting teens to consume alcohol at her home.

Cluck’s sentencing is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. Friday morning.

06/20/08 - Sentencing

Monica Cluck used her testimony at sentencing to apologize to her victims, family, friends and community expressing her remorse.

The jury deliberated for almost three hours and then returned with their sentencing recommendation.

On each of two first-degree sexual assault counts Cluck was sentenced to 8 years in prison with the two terms to run concurrent.

She was fined $750 on the contributing to the delinquency of a minor charge.

Reportedly Cluck will be eligible for parole in about two years.

References:

Prosecutors: letters backfired (06/24/08)

Monica Cluck Sentenced (06/20/08)

Cluck Trial Ends With Guilty Verdict and High Emotions (06/19/08)

Breaking News: Jury Deliberates in Cluck Trial (06/19/08)

Breaking News: Monica Cluck Takes The Stand (06/19/08)

Cluck Trial Day 3: Teens Take The Stand (Updated) (06/18/08)

Attorneys argue positions of trust (06/18/08)

Monica Cluck Trial: Day 2 (06/17/08)

Jury selection begins in Monica Cluck trial; no jurors chosen yet(06/17/08)

Jury Selection Continues in Cluck Trial (06/16/08)

Region 8 Teacher Accused of Sex & Drinking with Minors Taught Against Dangers of Drinking (8/16/07)

Paragould Teacher Arrested On Additional Sex Charges (8/15/07)

Teacher Resigns Following Sexual Assault Charge (8/10/07)

Kindergarten teacher charged with sexual assault (8/10/07)

Man goes to police with evidence of underage sex (8/10/07)

Man goes to police with evidence of underage sex (8/10/07) (Same report, second source)

Google Archive of Monica Ann Cluck MySpace Page (7/01/07)

(9/01/07 - Initial BBT Report)

Paul Milton Knutson, 58, a science teacher at Rogers High School, in Rogers, Arkansas was arrested Friday on sex and drug charges filed in Scottsdale, Arizona for crimes that allegedly occurred between 1983 and 1985.

Little Flock, AR police arrested Knutson at his home in North Dixieland. Knutson was being held in the Benton County Jail awaiting an extradition hearing.

A report in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette quoted Little Flock police Lt. Jesse Martinez as saying, “He didn’t seem surprised at all”, regarding Knutson’s reaction to his arrest.

In a subsequent report in the Fort Smith Times Record the same Little Flock police Lt, Jesse Martinez, is quoted as saying, “He was shocked we were there”.

Knutson is being charged in Scottsdale, AZ with five felony charges, including sexual contact with a minor, furnishing obscene or harmful items to minors, possession and sale of dangerous drugs, possession and sale of marijuana and possession and sale of narcotics.

Reportedly Knutson can still be prosecuted under Arizona law, even for crimes allegedly committed over 20 years ago.

Scottsdale Police Department spokesman Shawn Sanders was quoted in media reports as saying, “The statute of limitations does not apply when it’s a dangerous crime against kids dealing with child molestation”.

Reportedly the school administration in Rogers, AR has never had any complaints regarding Knutson, who has reportedly taught there for many years and the local police indicate that Knutson has never been the subject of any investigation by their department.

Webmaster’s note: On 9/04/07 we added a subsequent report which covers much of what was reported last week with one big exception. That exception is a quote attributed to Little Flock, AR Police Lt. Jesse Martinez. The two quotes attributed to Lt. Martinez by the two publications appear totally at-odds one with the other. We have no explanation for this discrepancy, but are attempting to determine which of the two quotes is correct.

Update 9/05/07:

Paul M. Knutson was released from the Benton County Jail on $25,000 bail on Sunday.

He still faces extradition to Arizona and is scheduled to be in court in Little Flock, Arkansas on October 11th.

A Scottsdale Unified School District spokesperson has confirmed that Knutson worked there between 1973 and 1984.

Update: 9/05/07:

According to news media reports, court documents in Scottsdale, Arizona indicate that multiple persons were aware of the alleged sexual relationship between Paul M. Knutson and a female student, during the 1983 to 1985 time frame. Reportedly the girl was 16 - 17 years old throughout the relationship and indicates that she and Knutson had sex more than 80 times during the relationship.

Reportedly the woman contacted Scottsdale Police in February 2006 because she had recently entered therapy and counseling for drug addiction. In addition to the sexual allegations the woman also told police that Knutson gave her cocaine and marijuana.

Reportedly, Knutson’s ex-wife and at least one other individual were aware of the alleged relationship and Knutson’s ex-wife indicates that she confronted him over the matter.

Another individual whose identity was redacted from the court documents allegedly says that Knutson worked for him part time and that Knutson had told him many details of the relationship as well as drug use.

Update 9/18/07:

The Rogers School Board approved without comment the leave of absence request of Paul Knutson. Knutson will be on one-year unpaid leave of absence from his job at Rogers High School while he resolves Arizona criminal charges.

11/08/07 - Knutson In Arizona, Freed On Bond

Paul Milton Knutson has reportedly traveled to Arizona, posted a $150,000 bond and entered a not guilty plea.

Knutson is facing 13 felony charges, including drug charges and allegations of having consensual sex with a girl who was a student at Chaparral High School while Knutson taught there.

Reportedly the alleged victim told Scottsdale, Arizona detectives in February 2006 that the sex occurred between 1983 and 1985. At the time she would have been 16 and 17 years old. The alleged victim says that she had sex with Knutson more than 80 times while she was his student and that Knutson gave her cocaine and marijuana.

Knutson is due back in court on December 13th.

05/09/08 - Guilty Plea

Paul Knutson pleaded guilty Friday to three counts of sexual conduct with a 16-year-old student more than 20 years ago.

Knutson is expected to be sentenced June 20th.

06/20/08 - Sentencing

Paul Knutson, was once a finalist for National Teacher of the Year, will spend only two months in jail for having sex with a student nearly 25 years ago.

He will however be on probation for the rest of his life .

The judge said he would send Knutson to prison for three years if the crimes were committed in the present. The judge cited Knutson’s “exemplary life” since the crimes were committed as justification for giving Knutson the greatly reduced sentence.

The victim who is suing Knutson and the Scottsdale Unified School District served him papers in court Friday.

Editorial/Opinion:

In light of the sweetheart sentence the judge handed Knutson one is left to wonder if the judge might not invite Knutson over for dinner, once his two months in jail is over - if not before.

Sweetheart sentences for predatory sex offenders do nothing to deter crime but instead encourage more crime and victimization, particularly when the judge justifies the sweetheart sentence by citing the predator’s “exemplary life” since their predatory acts.

Justice was not served in this case, it was instead slighted by a judge who apparently believes that even sexual predators are “good guys”.

About 25 years ago Paul Knutson victimized a teenage girl, today Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Paul McMurdie in his sentencing decision said “it was no big deal”…

References:

Former teacher sentenced for student sex (06/20/08)

Former Chaparral teacher pleads guilty (05/09/08)

Ex- teacher pleads guilty to sex with minor (05/09/08)

Knutson Enters Not Guilty Plea In Arizona (11/08/07)

Rogers School Board Approves Unpaid Leave For Teacher (9/18/07)

ROGERS : Counseling a backdrop to woman’s allegations (9/06/07)

Report: Knutson Told Others Of Sex With Student (9/05/07)

Teacher accused in student assault out on bail (9/05/07)

Teacher Faces Sex Charges (9/04/07)

ROGERS : Teacher, 58, arrested on sex, drug charges (9/01/07)

(05/02/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Brock M. Felton, 32, former band teacher at Izard County Consolidated School in Brockwell, Arkansas has been arrested and charged with multiple felony counts related to sexual indecency with a child; sexual indecency with a child; sexual assault in the 2nd degree and voyeurism.

In total Felton has been charged with 28 felonies alleging 22 different victims ranging in age from 14 to 18-years-old.

Many of the allegations center on allegations of Fenton exposing himself, asking boys to expose themselves and showing boys pornography.

Some the the alleged incidents are said to have taken place at the school and others at Fenton’s residence.

Following his arrest Fenton was released on $50,000 bond.

Fenton has resigned from the school system.

He is the second Izard County Consolidated School band teacher to be charged with a sexually oriented offense. Last year Stacy Lynn Tucker was caught up in an internet sting in which an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old girl was allegedly solicited for sex. Tucker was indicted by a grand jury in Little Rock on one count of child pornography.

The allegations and victim information is far too extensive to list here, please see the references below for more info.

06/19/08 - Trial Date Set

A trial date has been set for Brock Felton.

A pre-trial hearing has been scheduled for October 20th, with the trial set for October 21st or 24th.

Felton remains free on $50,000 bond

References:

Trial set for former teacher (06/19/08)

Former teacher charges (05/02/08)

(06/17/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Dana L. Meeks, 32, a substitute teacher at Crossett High School in Crossett, Arkansas has reportedly been arrested charged with three counts of first degree sexual assault of a 17-year-old student.

Reportedly the sexual contacts are alleged to have occurred away from the school.

Following her arrest Meeks was released on $10,000 bond.

References:

Crossett Substitute Teacher Faces Sex Charges (06/17/08)

(06/12/08 - Initial BBT Report)

John Tipton, 28, a history teacher, football coach and girls’ softball coach at Bigelow High School in Bigelow, Arkansas has been arrested in an Internet sex sting in which it is alleged he solicited sex from a minor.

Tipton and two other men were caught up in an Internet sex sting conducted by the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office and Heber Springs Police Department.

It is alleged that Tipton solicited the undercover officer posing as a minor for sex. He was arrested when he showed up at the designated meeting pace.

Official charges against Tipton are expected within three weeks for a court date July 7th.

The school district has taken no official action as of yet regarding Tipton other than prohibiting him from contact with students.

References:

Internet Sex Sting Nabs Three; One Suspect A High School Teacher (06/11/08)