11/01/07 - Initial BBT Report)

Kelsey Peterson, 25, a sixth-grade teacher and basketball coach at Lexington Middle School, in Lexington, Nebraska, is the subject of a nationwide search and is wanted for kidnapping, child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Peterson is accused of running off with Fernando Rodriguez, a 13-year-old male student. Peterson at the time of her disappearance was under investigation for having a sexual relationship with the boy.

Peterson was placed on administrative leave last week and the school contacted police to report that administrators had reason to believe that Peterson was having some sort of relationship with Rodriguez.

According to police, correspondence uncovered in an investigation shows the two have had a sexual relationship for some time.

Letters allegedly sent by Rodriguez while living at a home for at-risk boys in Alliance refers to teacher Kelsey Peterson as his “Baby Gurl” and says that their relationship is about more than sex. It is also alleged that correspondence written by Peterson and found on school computers supports the allegations against Peterson.

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(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”…

09/26/08 - Board Revokes Teacher’s License

The Arizona Board of Education has unanimously voted to revoke the teaching certification of Paul Knutson.

References:

Teacher’s license revoked after sex conviction (09/25/08)

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)

(06/25/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Adrienne LaFlamme, a 60-year-old science teacher at the Brevard County Juvenile Detention Center, in Florida has been arrested on 15 counts of unlawful sex with minors and one count of filing a false police report.

It is alleged that Laflamme had sex at least 15 times with one of her 17-year-old students over the course of an alleged four-week relationship.

It is further alleged that Laflamme had one “three-way” with the alleged victim and another boy.

The filing a false police report is the result of Laflamme reporting her car stolen when she allegedly loaned it to the alleged victim.

Following her arrest LaFlamme was initially being held on $225,000 bond.

06/26/08 - Court Appearance

Adrienne LaFlamme had a court appearance today and her bond was reportedly set at $525,00.

If LaFlamme makes bond she is prohibited from contacting the boy or his family or having any contact with minors under 16-years-old unless a parent is present.

07/31/08 - Formal Charges and Lots of Them

Adrienne LaFlame was formerly formally charged this week with 25 felonies and two misdemeanors in connection with a series of sexual encounters with 17-year-old and 14-year-old boys.

LaFlamme is charged with 20 counts of unlawful sex with a minor for alleged sex acts with the 17-year-old boy.

She is charged with lewd and lascivious conduct, exhibition, battery and molestation of the 14-year-old she allegedly engaged in a threesome with herself and the older boy.

She is also charged with providing the 17-year-old with marijuana as well as one misdemeanor count each of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and filing a false police report.

09/02/08 - Lawyer Say Bail For Adrienne Laflamme Is Too High

The attorney for Adrienne Laflamme is crying foul, saying that prosecutors’ filing of charges at the last minute was to keep her in jail.

Laflamme’s attorney says that her current bail amount of $276,000 is the equivalent of no bond for Laflamme and that he is going to attempt to have her released on a promise to appear.

09/24/08 - Judge Sets New Bond Amount

A judge has reduced the bond for Adrienne Laflamme to $130,000.

The judge broke the bond down at $5,000 for each of the first 25 counts, and $2,500 each for counts 26 and 27 against Laflamme who was arrested on June 25 and has been held in the Brevard County Detention Center since her arrest.

References:

Judge sets bond for ex-teacher in sex case (09/24/08)

Lawyer: Bail for ex-teacher in sex case too high (09/02/08)

Ex-Brevard teacher faces 25 felonies (07/31/08)

Brevard teacher accused of sex with minor faces judge (06/26/08)

60-year-old teacher faces 15 counts of sex violations with a minor (06/26/08)

Teacher, 60, Arrested for Sex With Teens (06/26/08)

Florida teacher, 60, had sex with teens (06/26/08)

Teacher, 60, Accused Of Sex With Boys (06/26/08)

60-Year-Old Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With Teen Repeatedly (06/26/08)

Female Teacher, 60, Had Sex With Boys, Police Say (06/26/08)

60-year-old female teacher faces charges of having sex with student (06/25/08)

(5/31/07 - Initial BBT Report)

Tom Porras, 49, of Scottsdale, AZ, a substitute teacher and assistant track coach at Saguaro High School today entered a not guilty plea on a felony count of sexual abuse, one count of public sexual indecency and one count of assault in a case in which Porras is accused of the sexual assault of a 17-year-old female student.

Porras came to attention of authorities in April when a school resource officer was notified of the alleged incident by school staff. He was arrested at the school. It is alleged that while being interviewed by police, Porras made admissions to the sexual abuse.

The teenager told police Porras, an assistant track and football coach and former professional football player, inappropriately touched her while she was at his house on Wednesday. She told officers she was invited to the home for an “athletic massage,” and during the time she was there, he had unwanted sexual contact with her.

While being interviewed by police, Porras made admissions to the sexual abuse incident, a Class 5 felony if convicted, and public sexual indecency, a Class 1 misdemeanor.

In the wake of the April allegations, Porras was placed on unpaid administrative leave.

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(3/13/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Stephanie Marie Ragusa, 28, a former teacher at Davidsen Middle School in Tampa, Florida has been arrested and charged with five counts of lewd and lascivious battery on allegations of having sex with a 15-year-old boy.

It is alleged that Ragusa had a sexual relationship with the boy and that she had sex with him five times between Oct. 1, 2006 to May 4, 2007.

The alleged victim was never a student of Ragusa, although he attended Davidsen Middle School when Ragusa taught there.

Ragusa who currently works as a math teacher at Martinez Middle School in Lutz, Florida has been placed on paid administrative leave.

In the wake of her arrest, Ragusa was being held without bond at the Hillsborough County Jail. A bond hearing has been set for March 19th.

Investigators now say that Ragusa performed oral sex on the boy twice, and allegedly had intercourse with him three other times. It is further alleged that the victim was also able to describe tattoos located on either side of Ragusa’s groin, tattoos which could only be seen if she wasn’t wearing clothes.

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