(11/08/07 – Initial BBT Report)

Eric Scott Newman, 26, a former technical drawing teacher at Millbrook High School in Winchester, Virginia has been charged with one count of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian, or person in position of trust to a child.

It is alleged that Newman had a sexual encounter with a 17-year-old student at his home in Hedgesville, West Virginia. Newman also allegedly had sexually explicit conversations with a 16-year-old student who emailed him nude photographs of herself.

Newman came to the attention of authorities when an individual contacted them and said that his ex-girlfriend was having inappropriate contact with her school teacher. A sheriff’s department investigator spoke with the 16-year-old girl who said that she had been in contact to Newman via telephone, text messages and computer emails and that she sent several naked pictures of herself to Newman’s email address.

The 17-year-old told investigators that on February 3 she met Newman on a parking lot in Hedgesville and from there traveled with Newman to his home where they watched movies, they began kissing and Newman had contact of a sexual nature with her until his wife called and said that she would be late from work.

The investigation of Newman and his arrest was the result of a combined effort on the part of the Berkeley County (West Virginia) and Frederick County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Departments and Virginia Child Protective Services.

Following his arraignment, Newman was released on Bond. He faces from one to five years in prison if convicted.

10/23/08 – Newman Indicted By West Virginia Grand Jury

A Berkeley County Circuit Court grand jury in Martinsburg, West Virginia has indicted Eric Newman on one count each of sexual abuse by a custodian or other person in a position of trust and soliciting a minor via a computer.

Newman is accused of having improper contact with two Millbrook students, who were 16 and 17 at the time, from January to March 2007.

10/30/08 – Guilty Plea in Frederick County

On October 23, Eric Scott Newman pleaded guilty in Frederick County Circuit Court to an amended misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dropped two solicitation charges and amended the obscenity charge to the contributing to the delinquency of a minor charge.

As a result of his guilty plea, Newman was sentenced to a year in jail, with all but 90 days suspended and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

As a result of his guilty plea in Frederick County, Newman will apparently not be required to register as a sex offender.

Newman is still facing criminal charges in Berkeley County where he was indicted on felony charges of sexual abuse by a custodian or other person of trust and soliciting a minor on the computer.

Arraignment on these charges is pending.

Webmaster’s note: We apologize for not updating this info sooner. Fact is that a reader e-mailed us with this information on Sunday but with a quick glance at the e-mail I mistakenly assumed the news report referenced in the e-mail references the grand jury indictment. My mistake. In a later review of the e-mail it became apparent that we had missed a guilty plea to the amended charge. As always thanks to our readers for keeping us informed.

07/14/09 – Plea Agreement In Berkeley County

Eric Scott Newman appeared in Berkeley County Circuit Court yesterday and his attorney announced that a plea agreement had been reached with prosecutors.

Reportedly, under the terms of the plea deal, a more serious charge of sexual abuse by a custodian or other person of trust will be dropped.

Newman will receive a sentence of two to 10 years in prison, with the entire term suspended and will then spend five years on probation.

The plea deal is not complete until Newman formally enters his guilty plea and an investigation by the court is completed in September.

Reportedly, under the terms of the plea deal Newman will not have to register as a sex offender

References:

Ex-teacher will admit soliciting a minor (07/14/09)

Former teacher to serve jail time (10/23/08)

Ex-teacher indicted in W.Va. (10/23/08)

Former Va. teacher charged (11/08/07)

(8/05/07 – Initial BBT Report)

Janet Lea Hughes, 32, a former business teacher at Jackson Middle School, in Titusville, Florida has reportedly been charged with one count of sexual battery on a child and attempted sexual battery.

Hughes, a wife and mother, was arrested in April of this year after two undercover detectives allegedly found her in a van in a church parking lot with the 16-year-old male student. Reportedly the boy was a student at Jackson Middle School.

It is alleged that the two were found lying on a blanket in the back of the van and according to detectives, “about to engage in a sexual activity”.

Allegedly while being questioned by Titusville detectives Hughes admitted to kissing the boy in the van just before being arrested and to having sex with the same boy in the past.

Hughes was originally charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor and attempted unlawful sexual activity with a minor. Following her April arrest she was reportedly released on $35,000 bail on April 25th.

The new state charges filed against Hughes are reportedly more serious and replace the local charges filed in April.

Hughes is scheduled to be in court September 10th.

According to news media reports, authorities were not permitted to explain why the 16-year-old boy was still in middle school.

8/15/07 – Transcript of Conversation Released

According to “Florida Today”, a seven-page transcript of a conversation between Janet L. Hughes and the 16-year-old male student which was record in the back of a patrol car has been released. Reportedly the teacher and student tried to coordinate the stories they told Titusville police officers accusing them of having a sexual relationship.

9/08/07 – Hughes To Live With Mother

A judge modified Janet Hughes’ bond to permit her to move to Washington state to live with her mother.

Hughes was required to turn her passport over to the court clerk and to appear at all court hearings.

Hughes is currently set for trial on February 4, 2008.

2/05/08 – Trial Delayed

The trial of Janel Hughes has been delayed until May 19 at the request of Hughes attorneys.

05/19/08 – Trial Postponed

The trial of Janet Hughes scheduled to start today has been postponed until September 29th at the request of the defense.

10/03/08 – Trial Delayed Yet Again

Court records indicate that the previously delayed trial of Janet Hughes has been delayed once again.

The current court schedule indicates that Hughes is set for a sounding docket on January 9, 2009.

This latest information came to us by way of a tip from one of our many fine readers and we have confirmed the information by reviewing court records.

04/21/09 – Plea Deal Set, If Judge Agrees

The prosecution and defense have reportedly agreed to a plea deal under which Janet Hughes would enter a plea on one count each of sexual battery and attempted sexual battery on a child.

Reportedly Hughes would face anywhere from a year and one day to six years in prison if a judge accepts the plea deal on April 30th.

04/29/09 – Plea Hearing Delayed

The plea hearing scheduled for April 30th for Janet Hughes has been postponed until May 5 because her lawyers are in trial.

05/05/09 – Plea Hearing

The judge has approved a plea deal between Janet Lea Hughes and prosecutors under which Hughes pleaded guilty on two counts of unlawful sexual battery with a minor and will be sentenced to prison for a term of from one to six years.

Also under the terms of the plea deal, Hughes will have to register as sex offender for life and once her prison sentence is completed she will be required to serve 10 years of sex offender probation, during which time she must wear a GPS monitoring bracelet.

Hughes was allowed to remain free on bond pending sentencing, set for July 9th.

The judge warned Hughes that any new offenses, even a traffic arrest, prior to sentencing would negate the deal and subject her to the full 45 years in prison.

07/09/09 – Sentencing

Janet Hughes, who is now divorced and goes by her maiden name of Janet Florence, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison to be followed by 10 years probation with a gps monitoring device.

Janet Hughes, aka Janet Florence, was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

Hughes’ defense attorney argued for leniency in the sentencing, pointing out it was a consensual sexual relationship and, even though the student was in the eighth grade, he was 16 years old.

The judge said the law doesn’t consider the gender of the two involved or whether it was consensual. The judge told Hughes, “You violated the trust of the parents of your students”.

References:

Ex-teacher imprisoned for sexual battery (07/09/09)

Former Brevard teacher takes plea deal (07/09/09)

Former Teacher Sentenced For Sex With Teen (07/09/09)

Teacher pleads guilty on sex charges (05/05/09)

Ex-Florida teacher enters plea in sex case (05/05/09)

Plea hearing delayed in teacher sex case (04/29/09)

Ex-teacher could face prison in sex case (04/21/09)

Teacher’s Sex-With-Student Trial Postponed (05/19/08)

Ex-teacher’s sex trial delayed until spring (2/05/08)

Judge modifies bond for accused ex-teacher (9/08/07)

Court records released in teacher sex case (8/15/07)

Teacher Accused Of Inappropriate Lessons With Student (8/05/07)

Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With Student (8/05/07)

New charges filed in teacher sex case (8/04/07)

Background:

Titusville teacher under investigation for sexual misconduct (5/03/07) (In PDF format)

Teacher Allegedly Caught Having Sex With Teen In Van (4/24/07)

(6/26/07 – Initial BBT Report)

Charlene Schmitz, 54, of Leroy, Alabama and a teacher at Leroy High School has been charged with second-degree rape and second-degree sodomy on allegations that she had sex with a 14-year-old boy.

Schmitz came to the attention of authorities when the boy’s mother came to them with stacks of explicit e-mails she claimed the teacher sent to her son.

When police questioned the boy he admitted to the sexual relationship, said it had been going on since April and usually at Schmitz’s residence.

Schmitz, after being arrested, was released on $40,000 bond.

Update: 6/27/07:

Additional details on the accusations have become available in a subsequent report listed below. Some of the new information pertains to the nature of the e-mails allegedly between the teacher and boy. These e-mails dealt with oral sex. The fact that the teacher has children older than the alleged victim. The next hearing in the case is set for July 24th.

Update: 7/24/07:

Charlene Schmitz has waived a preliminary hearing.

Last week Schmitz was placed on paid administrative leave by the school.

Update 7/27/07:

The case of Charlene Schmitz was sent to a Washington County Grand Jury during what was supposed to be a preliminary hearing, Tuesday, July 24. The next grand jury will convene in August but it is not currently known if Schmitz’s case will be heard at that time.

11/26/07 – Schmitz Re-Arrested

Charlene Schmitz who after her original arrest the judge barred from having any contact with the alleged victim has been re-arrested after she allegedly ignored that order Friday night.

Deputies say she sat next to the teenage boy during a football game in Leroy, Alabama.

Schmitz is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow for a bond hearing.

11/27/07 – Arrested on Federal Charges

Charlene Schmitz has been taken into federal custody on charges of using a computer to entice a child.

Schmitz was arrested by federal agents this afternoon following a bond hearing on state charges.

11/30/07 – Charlene Schmitz To Remain Jailed

U.S. Magistrate Judge Bert Milling Jr. ordered Charlene Schmitz to remain jailed pending trial on a pair of federal enticement charges.

2/13/08 – Federal Trial Underway

The federal trial of Charlene Schmitz on charges of enticing a child by computer and enticing a child by cell phone is underway. Prosecutors revealed what kind of conversations Schmitz supposedly had with the teen.

2/15/08 – Guilty Verdict

The trial jury has found Charlene Schmitz guilty on two counts of child enticement.

She faces a sentencing range from 10 years to life in prison.

The jury apparently did not buy testimony from Schmitz’s 14-year-old daughter who testified that she logged onto her mother’s Yahoo account and pretended to be her as she traded instant messages with the boy.

The alleged victim testified in support of the prosecution’s case against Schmitz.

06/02/08 – Sentencing

Today U.S. District Judge Kristi DuBose sentenced Charlene Schmitz to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison.

The judge rejected the prosecution’s request for an even longer sentence and who said that Schmitz allowed and possibly encouraged her 13-year-old daughter to lie that she had impersonated her mother during instant messaging conversations with the boy.

06/02/09 – Charlene Schmitz Still Getting Paid

Charlene Schmitz, convicted of enticing a former student for sex and who is serving time at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, Florida is reportedly still drawing a salary from the school system while she is in federal prison.

Reportedly Schmitz, whose employment was terminated on May 27,2008, has still been paid $51,666 in salary and has also been paid another $19,270 in retirement contributions, Social Security taxes and fringe benefits.

Webmaster’s opinion:

Mean time, the dollars just keep flowing to a convicted sex offender sitting in federal prison…

References:

Washington County teacher convicted of luring student for sex continues to draw salary (06/02/09)

Teacher convicted of enticing student for sex still drawing salary while serving time (06/02/09)

Teacher Sex Case: Schmitz Gets 10 Years (06/02/08)

Teacher in Washington County sex case gets 10 years (06/02/08)

Teacher is guilty of luring student (2/15/08)

Teacher guilty in student sex case (2/14/08)

Teen testifies about relationship with teacher (2/13/08)

Teacher on Trial for Allegedly Enticing Teen For Sex (2/13/08)

Judge orders teacher jailed on enticement charge (11/30/07)

Feds indict Washington County teacher in juvenile sex case (11/28/07)

Federal Charges in Teacher Sex Case (11/27/07)

New Charges: Teacher Sex Case (11/26/07)

Teacher sex case goes to grand jury (7/27/07)

Teacher Faces Sex Charges (7/24/07)

Teacher accused of sex with teen

Teacher, 54, charged with having sex with boy, 14