(07/17/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Carrie Alice Denbow, 32, a “student assistance provider” at the Hill Center Academy in Lansing, Michigan has been arrested and charged with having sexual contact with one of her students.

Denbow was arraigned today on 7 counts of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree on allegations that she had sexual contact with a male student from January 2006 to December 2007 at which time the student was between 13 and 15-years-old. Denbow is also charged with one misdemeanor count of domestic assault.

Following her arrest Denbow was released on $25,000 personal recognizance bond. While free on bond Denbow is not allowed to have any contact with a child under the age of 18 and she is not to be within 500 feet of an alleged victim

Denbow is scheduled to be back in court on July 25th.

Denbow has been on paid administrative leave from the school since December of last year.

The alleged victim, a ward of the state, is reportedly still enrolled at the Hill Center.

09/04/08 - Denbow Bound Over For Trial

Carrie Denbow, charged with seven counts of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree, plus a misdemeanor domestic assault charge, has been bound over for trial on all but one of the counts.

The alleged victim testified in the hearing saying he was only 15-years-old when he and Debow were having sex several times a week. He testified that “she picked me up in her Sebring and we got in the back, took off all our clothes and had sex”. The witness testified in great detail about sexual encounters in Denbow’s Hill Center office, on the MSU campus and in a Motel 6 in Delta Township, where he says they drank alcohol she bought them and smoked a joint.

Another witness, now 19-years-old, testified of seeing Denbow perform sex acts upon the alleged victim.

References:

Accused Teacher in Court (09/04/08)

Student Testifies About Sexual Relationship With School Counselor (09/04/08)

Hill Center employee charged in sex case (07/18/08)

Lansing school employee charged with criminal sexual conduct (07/17/08)

Lansing School Employee Arrested on Sex Charges (07/17/08)

(08/19/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Allanah Benton-Wells, 42, a former teacher at Williams Elementary School in Flint, Michigan will, according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton, be charged today with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under the age of 13.

It is alleged that Benton-Wells had sex with the sixth-grade male student on two separate occasions around Halloween of 2007. Reportedly the boy was in her class and she was supposed to be tutoring at her home.

Benton-Wells came to the attention of authorities when the student’s mother grew suspicious after she intercepted a phone call between the her son and Benton-Wells. The boy’s mother later notified school administrators and they in turn called the police.

Reportedly, the alleged victim told a fellow student that he and Benton-Wells had sex in an upstairs bedroom at the Benton-Wells residence.

Additionally, the Flint Journal reported:

Benton-Wells’ then-husband told police the student spent the night at their Flint home. He described arriving home at 2:30 in the morning to find the student sitting on the couch without a shirt on. Another time, the student was sitting on the couch with his wife who was wearing a nightgown and no bra.

He also told police that the student called at all hours of the night. The couple divorced in January.

On Monday, Allanah Benton-Wells, through her attorney, has denied the allegations. She is expected to turn herself in to police today.

Benton-Wells was placed on paid administrative leave in November, 2007. She was fired by the school system earlier this month.

If convicted of the charges she could face up to live in prison, owing to the nature of the felony offenses against a then 12-year-old victim.

Benton-Wells is divorced and the mother of 19-month-old twins.

Update: Allanah Benton-Wells Officially Charged

Allanah Benton-Wells was arraigned earlier today on two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under the age of 13.

08/22/08 - Pre-Trial Hearing Delayed

Allanah Benton-Wells was scheduled for a pre-trial hearing today however the judge and attorneys decided to move the hearing until August 29 because the defense has not obtained information from the prosecution, such as the police report on the case.

08/29/08 - Pre-Trial Hearing Delayed Again, Attorney Ousted

Flint District Judge Nathaniel C. Perry III rescheduled Allanah Benton-Wells’ pretrial hearing for next month after granting a prosecutor’s request to disqualify her attorney.

The prosecutor’s office argued her attorney, Michael B. Haley, had a conflict of interest because he accompanied Benton-Wells’ sister on an interview with Flint police about the allegations.

An appeal of the judge’s ruling is likely.

References:

Flint teacher accused of sex with student, 12, to get new attorney (08/29/08)

Pre-trail hearing for Allanah Benton-Wells pushed back a week (08/22/08)

Former Flint teacher Allanah Benton-Wells officially charged with sexual assault for allegedly having sex with sixth-grade student (08/19/08)

Elementary school sex scandal (08/19/08)

Flint teacher accused of having sex with 12-year-old student, says Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton (08/19/08)

Flint ex-teacher, 42, accused of sex with boy, 12 (08/19/08)

(09/18/07 - Initial BBT Report)

Edward Michael Kowalski, 51, a gym teacher at White Cloud Middle School, in White Cloud, Michigan has been arrested on allegations of soliciting sex from a 15-year-old girl on the Internet.

The “15-year-old girl” was actually an undercover police officer in Adrian.

Kowalski, of Big Rapids, Michigan, was nabbed in an undercover online sex sting and is set to be arraigned on September 19th. He is charged with accosting a child for immoral purposes and using a computer to commit a crime.

Kowalski is free on a personal-recognizance bond pending arraignment.

Reportedly Kowalski is on paid administrative leave.

Reportedly, when police searched Kowalski’s home they didn’t find his computer. But two hours after they left, Kowalski was seen dumping a bag, which police later found containing broken computer parts.

04/23/08 - Guilty Verdict

A jury deliberated for three hours and found Edward Kowalski guilty on both charges to the surprise of Kowalski’s attorney who presented no witnesses and offered no evidence in defense of his client.

Kowalski faces a maximum of 10 years in prison although his attorney expects at most an 11 month sentence.

Kowalski’s attorney indicated an appeal will occur.

05/19/08 - Sentencing Postponed

Sentencing for Edward Kowalski has been postponed until June 5th in order that a private expert can examine an Adrian Police Department computer for evidence a defense attorney said could help win a new trial for Kowalski. The examination of the computer is the result of a subpoena served on Adrian police days after the trial, seeking an inspection of the computer used by Detective Vincent Emrick in chats with Kowalski.

The defense has indicated that it will be filing a motion for a new trial.

06/14/08 - Sentencing

Edward Kowalski has been sentenced to to six months in jail with credit for 51 days served, placed on probation for five years, ordered to undergo sex offender counseling and to register as a sex offender.

Additionally Kowalski has been ordered to pay court costs of $1,200 and other fees, is not allowed to own or possess a computer or any device that could be connected to the Internet and is to have no contact with any minor, except family members under supervision.

Kowalski’s defense is filing appeals as well as a motion for a new trial.

07/15/08 - Motion Hearing Delayed

A hearing regarding the defense motion for a new trial has been delayed until August 22.

When the judge learned that expert witnesses for the prosecution and defense would be appearing as “dueling experts” the hearing was delayed as only 15 minutes had been allocated for yesterday’s hearing. The delay will provided the time required to conduct a hearing which will focus on the expert testimony.

08/23/08 - Motion For New Trial Denied

Edward Michael Kowalski’s motion for a new trail has been rejected after his attorney failed to prove claims an Adrian police detective committed perjury.

Kowalski is nearing the end of his six month jail sentence.

References:

Motion for new trial rejected (08/23/08)

Hearing on teacher’s conviction delayed (07/15/08)

Teacher gets jail term in sex sting (06/13/08)

Defense expert to search police computer used in teacher sex sting (05/19/08)

Teacher convicted in Internet sex sting (04/23/08)

Attorney: Teacher’s chat inappropriate, not crime (9/18/07)

White Cloud teacher nabbed in sex sting (9/18/07)

(08/06/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Melissa Lavender, 33, a culinary arts teacher at South Lake High School in St Clair Shores, Michigan has been arrested and charged on allegations that she engaged in acts of gross misconduct of a sexual nature with the two male South Lake High School students.

Lavender has been charged with two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. The alleged victims are 16 and 17-years-old.

It is alleged that Lavender engaged in sexual conduct with the boys on the night of June 26 on the boat belonging to the parts of a former student. Reportedly the boat that was docked in a St. Clair Shores marina at the time and there were eight former and current students on board with Lavender being the only teacher present.

Lavender came to the attention of police when a witness reportedly came forward and said that Lavender had inappropriately touched the two students.

Lavender who has reportedly been with the school for five has been suspended with pay.

Lavender has been released on a $25,000 personal bond conditioned upon her having no contact with witnesses or victims, nor having unsupervised contact with any minors. Lavender is also forbidden to consume alcohol or drugs and must get random Breathalyzer tests four times a day as long as she’s free on bond.

News media reports indicate that Lavender is married with two children.

References:

Macomb teacher arraigned on sex acts charges (08/06/08)

South Lake High School teacher suspended, charged with having sex with students (08/06/08)

South Lake teacher charged with sexual misconduct with students (08/06/08)

Stephanie Ann Stein, 31, a former teacher at Plymouth Christian Academy, in Canton, Michigan has been arraigned on charges she had sex with a 15-year-old student and engaged in graphic conversations with him on the internet.

Allegedly Stein befriended the boy last summer and her relationship with him became physical this last summer. Stein came to the attention of authorities when during the past summer the boy’s mother came home and found Stein at her house.

Reportedly, Stein is being charged with two counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct 3rd Degree, 1 count of Using the Internet to Communicate with a Minor to Commit a Crime and 1 count of Distributing Obscene Material of a Sexual Nature to a Minor.

Stein who resigned from her teaching position in June was released on $50,000 personal bond on condition she have no contact with the alleged victim.

Stein is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on September 28th.

9/28/07 - Preliminary Hearing

At Stein’s preliminary hearing today the 15-year-old “victim” testified that he loved her, wanted to have sex with her and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

The boy was the only witness at the preliminary hearing and basically testified that he pursued Stein until he broken down her resistance to a sexual affair.

The prosecuting attorney pointed out “Under the law, it doesn’t matter whose idea it was — he’s a minor”…

04/03/08 - Stein Headed To Trial

After seven months of unsuccessful efforts to set up a plea deal Stephanie Stein is headed to trial although a trial date is yet to be set.

06/17/08 - Stein Found Guilty

It took the jury less than two hours of deliberation to find Stephanie Stein guilty on two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of using the Internet to communicate with a minor to commit a crime and one count of distributing obscene material of a sexual nature to a minor.

Stein faces up to 15 years in prison at sentencing which is set for July 2nd.

Following the guilty verdict Stein is being held at the Wayne County Jail.

Commentary and Opinion:

Unlike a generation ago, it is not often that the defense attorney for a person accused of sex crimes blames the alleged victim of those sex crimes. That is however the approach taken by Stepahani Stein’s attorney and obviously the jury was not buying into the “he held power over her defense” as presented by Stein’s lawyer.

So what if the boy hit on Stein for days, weeks or months on end?

Stein, supposedly an adult, was required by law to resist the temptation of having sex with an underaged student regardless of what he said or did and in that she failed and failed miserably.

It is an insult to the intelligence of normal people for Stein’s defense to claim that “he made her do it” and if Stein sticks with this silly approach to her legal predicament odds are she will actually end up being sentenced to 15 years in prison rather than getting the “female discount sentence” which seems so common of recent…

07/03/08 - Sentencing

Stephanie Stein was sentenced today in Wayne County Circuit Court to three to fifteen years in prison on two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Craig Strong also sentenced Stein to 30 to 48 months on the using the Internet to communicate with a minor to commit a crime count and 16 to 24 months on the count of distributing obscene material of a sexual nature to a minor. These latter two sentences are to run concurrent with the sentence on criminal sexual conduct.

References:

Canton teacher receives 3 to 15 years for sex with student (07/03/08)

Former Plymouth teacher sentenced to 3 to 15 years for sex with student (07/03/08)

Plymouth teacher guilty of sex with student (06/17/08)

Teacher guilty of sex with student (06/17/08)

Teenager testifies in teacher sex case (06/17/08)

Prosecutor: Teacher ‘gave in’ to teen’s sex fantasies (06/12/08)

Plymouth teacher to be tried in teen sex case after 7 months (04/04/08)

15-year-old student claims he seduced teacher (9/28/07)

Teacher charged with sex with student (9/18/07)

Female Teacher Charged With Sex Crime With Minor (9/17/07)

Cops: Ex-Teacher Had Sex with Student (9/17/07)