Kelsey Peterson
Posted by: Webmaster in California, FE-MV, Hall of Shame, High Profile Cases, ME-CP, Middle Schools, Nebraska
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.
A warrant for Peterson’s arrest was reportedly issued on Monday.
Peterson who reportedly has an eight-year-old daughter and the boy are believed to be in a white 4-door 2006 Pontiac with Nebraska plates “18-K16″.
Upate 11/02/07:
Paul Schwarz of the Lexington Police Department in Nebraska said the white Pontiac owned by 25-year-old Kelsey Peterson crossed into Mexico around 11 p.m. on Tuesday.
Reportedly FBI officials in Omaha said that under standard procedure, authorities would work with FBI officials in Mexico as well as Mexican authorities.
11/03/07 - Kelsey Peterson Captured
Kelsey Peterson and the 13-year-old male student she is accused of kidnapping and taking to Mexico were captured by Mexican authorities Friday night.
Peterson and the boy were found in Mexicali, Mexico and were taken into custody by officials from the Baja California State Preventive Police Agency.
Peterson has been turned over to the FBI and has been returned to the United States.
Fernando Rodriguez, the 13-year-old student, has reportedly been turned over to family members in Mexico.
Peterson at the time of her disappearance and alleged flight from justice 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.
A warrant for Peterson’s arrest was reportedly issued on Monday and allegedly Peterson took the boy and fled the area on Tuesday.
Peterson faces state charges of kidnapping, child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She now also faces federal charges of transporting a minor across state lines or a foreign border for sexual activity.
Update 11/05/07:
Kelsey Peterson is being held on federal charges at the Imperial County Jail in El Centro, California, and was expected to appear before a U.S. magistrate judge today.
Fernando Rodriguez, the 13-year-old boy Peterson is accused of having a sexual relationship with and kidnapping is reportedly an illegal immigrant while residing in the United States, and might not be able to return to the rural Nebraska town where he was an eighth-grader.
Authorities learned of the location of Peterson and the boy when he called family members asking for money.
Alfredo Arenas, the Baja California state police official who detained Peterson, said the pair had a mutual agreement to flee after stories surfaced that they were having sex surfaced.
At an initial appearance today in federal court in El Centro, California Kelsey Peterson said nothing as U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Lewis read charges that she crossed the border to have sex with a minor.
Lewis scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to ask if Peterson would agree to be sent to Nebraska to face charges.
11/07/07 - Court Hearing And Bail Denied
In a court hearing today Kelsey Peterson’s court-appointed attorney argued for $100,000 bail, but the request was denied on the basis that Peterson is a flight risk. Peterson has agreed to be transferred from California to Nebraska to face charges.
11/12/07 - Attorney wants proof of boy’s age
Kelsey Peterson’s lawyer says the woman was guilty of poor judgment and maybe nothing else. Peterson’s lawer James Martin Davis of Omaha says the boy may be older than 13 and he wants a birth certificate from Mexico to determine the victim’s true age.
Peterson has been moved from a federal facility in El Centro to one in San Diego and is expected to be returned to Nebraska in 7 to 21 days.
News reports indicate that the alleged victim, reportedly a 13-year-old, who was in the country illegally may be eligible to return to the United States under a new visa the government started granting to crime victims the week before he disappeared. The new visa would let the boy live legally in the United States for four years and eventually apply for permanent residency. It would also extend temporary residency to his parents and his unmarried siblings under 18.
11/13/07 - Peterson Fired
On Monday night the Lexington School Board voted 6-0 to terminate Kelsey Peterson’s contract.
11/15/07 - Boy Really Is 13
Officer Alfredo Arenas Moreno has provided a copy of the boy’s birth certificate to the associated press. A birth certificate which the officer says he obtained from the FBI and which shows the boy was born in January 1994.
11/28/07 - Peterson Back in Nebraska
The attorney for Kelsey Peterson says that Peterson has been returned to Nebraska and is being held in the Cass County Jail. James Martin Davis says he is not sure when Peterson will make a court appearance although media reports indicate that she will be arraigned tomorrow.
11/29/07 - Court Appearance
A tearful Kelsey Peterson was arraigned in federal court today on a charge of crossing a border to have sex with a minor.
Peterson entered a not guilty plea.
A psychological evaluation of Peterson has been ordered and the judge will review the results of that evaluation on December 10th.
1/31/08 - Boy To Return To U.S.
The Department of Homeland Security is giving the boy who fled to Mexico Kelsey Peterson a chance to temporarily return to the United States to live with his mother in Lexington, Nebraska.
04/18/08 - Trial Date Set
A federal judge has set a trial date of July 8 for Kelsey Peterson.
Peterson’s lawyer has been trying to cut a deal that would result in Peterson facing state rather than federal charges.
07/01/08 - Peterson To Plead Guilty
James Martin Davis, the attorney who represents Kelsey Peterson, says his client will plead guilty Wednesday to charges of having sex with a minor across state lines.
Peterson who was originally charged with taking a minor across the border for sex, a felony which carries a mandatory 10 year prison term will reportedly plead to a lesser charge, one for which her attorney expects could spend six to seven years in prison.
07/02/08 - Guilty Plea To Reduced Charge
Kelsey Peterson pleaded guilty today to a reduced charge of transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of sex.
As part of the plea deal Peterson will receive a sentence of at least 70 months but not more than 87 months in federal prison.
Peterson still faces state charges, which include kidnapping and first-degree sexual assault. Her lawyer is seeking to get the state charges dropped.
09/29/08 - Sentencing
This morning Kelsey Peterson was sentenced to to six years in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release after her release from prison.
Peterson will have to register as a sex offender.
09/30/08 - Peterson Says She Was ‘Addicted’ To 12 Year Old
Kelsey Peterson granted an exclusive interview to KETV Ohama, Nebraska and in that interview she tells why she was “addicted” to the 12-year-old boy.
Seek the link below for the full report.
References:
Exclusive: Kelsey Peterson Speaks Out On Love Affair (09/30/08)
Ex-Neb. teacher gets 6 years in student sex case (09/29/08)
Ex-Neb. teacher gets 6 years in student sex case (09/29/08)
Former teacher who fled to Mexico with student sentenced today (09/29/08)
Former Lex teacher pleads guilty in minor sex case (07/02/08)
Lawyer: Lexington teacher to plead guilty (07/01/08)
Runaway Teacher Will Plead Guilty (07/01/08)
Federal judge sets trial for former teacher (04/18/08)
U.S. grants temporary parole to boy who fled with teacher (1/31/08)
New passport verifies age of boy who fled with teacher to Mexico (1/16/08)
Tears Punctuate Not Guilty Plea (11/29/07)
Runaway Teacher Pleads Not Guilty (11/29/07)
Lexington teacher pleads not guilty to federal charges (11/29/07)
Teacher who fled to Mexico to be arraigned in federal court (11/28/07)
Peterson in Nebraska (11/28/07)
MEXICAN POLICE SAY LEXINGTON BOY IS 13 (11/15/07)
Birth certificate shows boy in teacher-sex case is 13 (11/15/07)
Teacher Who Fled With Student Fired (11/13/07)
Attorney wants proof of boy’s age in teacher-student sex case (11/12/07)
Mexican Relishes Hunt for US Fugitives (11/11/07)
No Bail For Nebraska Teacher Accused Of Taking Boy (11/07/07)
Boy: Friendship With Teacher Led to Sex (11/07/07)
Boy describes journey to Mexico with former teacher (11/07/07)
Reaction: from ‘real shame’ to ‘everybody makes mistakes’ (11/06/07)
Lexington Teacher May Take Weeks to Appear in Nebraska Court (11/06/07)
Teacher accused of fleeing to Mexico with boy, appears in court (11/05/07)
Teacher Nabbed in Mexico With 13-Year-Old Student Faces Court Hearing
(11/05/07)
Teen with family in Mexico, teacher faces federal court hearing Monday (11/04/07)
FBI Agents Find Nebraska Teacher, Student In Mexico (11/03/07)
Teacher Arrested in Mexico, Boy Released (11/03/07)
Teacher, Student Arrested in Mexico (11/03/07)
Police: Boy, Teacher Entered Mexico Tuesday (11/02/07)
Teacher, Student May Have Fled to Mexico (11/02/07)
Cops search for boy, 13, teacher in apparent affair (11/01/07)
Teacher and her 13-year-old student on the run (11/01/07)
Search Continues For Teacher And Teen (11/01/07)
Police Searching for Teacher and Boy (11/01/07)
Police search for teacher who ran off with student (11/01/07)
Female Teacher, 13-Year-Old Student Missing (11/01/07)
Who Is Kelsey Peterson? (11/01/07)
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Entries (RSS)
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:45 am
ok, I agree about torturing pedophiles in most average cases, but this is not an average case. This woman has deep psychological issues stemming from the fact that she was a single mother. Sure most single mothers find the strength and courage to overcome and end up being wonderful parents. However, have any of you taken into consideration this woman’s age at conception, do the math! If she has an 8 yr old daughter at a whopping 25, that puts coneption at only 14, making teenage sexuality acceptable in her mind. Not only was she burdened by young motherhood, she also had to start living as an adult when she should have been enjoying her childhood. As for abandoning her daughter, put yourself in her shoes, even if this would not have been a young boy, she would have run away at some point with someone to escape the stress of single parenthood. I am not condoning or advocating what she has done, no matter how you look at it she has still committed a haneous crime. But do not be so quick to judge someone a “monster”, think about how her relationship with her daughter will be now. She more than likely stands to lose custody because of her sex-offender status. Yet, also I do disagree with the guy who says she doesn’t “deserve” her sentence, she does deserve the sentence handed down to her by the courts! Maybe this will be the oppertunity she needs to get help and to make an example for other young mothers that this is not acceptable behavior, and when you commit a crime you will be punished. And also that teachers cannot behave innapropriatly with students, maybe that will stop all the “mary kay’s” out there from becoming teachers.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
It dosent matter what kind of sex offender you are all of them deserve 2 be tortured for the rest of there lives man or woman!Some people that get a drug charge get life while all of these pedophiles are walking the street that is not right.
July 11th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I have a 14 yr old son and I can’t Imagine this happening to him. People say he looks older SO WHAT! he was 12! how digusting of an exuse to say. How would you feel if this happened to your young son. All the excuses in the world people have for her are not going to change her digusting behavior. She is a child abuser.
May 30th, 2008 at 9:45 am
omg i still cannot believe this is happening she was my sixth grade teacher and i have been to her house before and her daughter was like my best friend and she spended the night at my house to this all really sucks cuz now i cant even see her anymore]:!!!!!!
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:34 pm
i think it is finally time that they make an example out of female teachers that are taking advantage of there male students. This is becoming more and more common and it needs to be stopped. i personally know her and she left her daughter without looking back, and was warned repeatly by her co workers to cut it off with this boy before they reported her. So it was not just a dumb mistake made once this was planned out affair that she pursued. She needs to do serious time cause if this was a man and not a woman he would be doing at least 20 yrs. So we need to stop paying attention to the sex of the teacher and start caring about the kids (our children) that we in trust theses teachers with.
April 20th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Well Fred, I wouldn’t shed a tear for her. Did she think about her little daughter she left behind so you she ride off with a kid only 5 yrs older. No, she’s getting what she deserves.
The federal system unlike the state system follows the rules whether you are a man or woman. She’s in for a lot of hurt if her lawyer doesn’t get her into the sate courts. Federal Judges are not weak and pathetic like the ones that are in the states.
April 18th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Is she still in the slammer? This is getting to be too much. My early interest in this was bacause I was thinking that a cute young woman was going to get off pretty lightly. But now I’m in the opposite camp. She has lost her job and career. What has happened to her house and car? She’s spent over six months in jail without being convicted of anything. (I know we all know she did it, but in this country there is bail. It’s not like she’s Al Capone.)
Anywaym, if I’m the judge Kelsey gets sentenced to time served and a lot of probation with a whole bunch of conditions about teen aged boys.
November 14th, 2007 at 9:50 am
We all mistakes in life. Not only did Ms. Peterson make a mistake, she made two mistakes going to Mexico. As much as I want to predict she will only get a hand slap (as seen on other cases similar to this one, not this time). She is facing both federal and state charges. And she just got fired. I think she finally got the message in letting her know that this is not proper behavior expected from a person in a position of authority and trust. I expect she might be thinking about a career change in the future.