(Lecanto, Florida) Updating a previous report, 36-year-old teacher and coach at Lecanto High School, Amy Gail Lilley, was arrested last November for engaging in a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old female student. Subsequently, Lilley resigned her teaching position.Yesterday, as part of a plea agreement, Lilley pleaded no contest to a charge of lewd and lascivious battery of a child under 16 and was sentenced to two years house arrest and eight years probation. Terms of the probation require Lilley to permanently surrender her teaching certificate and to undergo counseling as a sexual offender. Lilley could have received up to 15 years in prison.
From FirstCoastNews.com:
Circuit Judge Ric Howard agreed to what he called a significantly reduced sentenced based on statements from Assistant State Attorney Rich Buxman and Lilley's attorney, Michael Blackstone.Judge Howard also prohibited Lilley from having any contact with the victim. Oddly, it appears that Judge Howard will not require her to register as a sex offender.
It's worth noting that Lilley is the divorced mother of two and possibly the judge took that into consideration when he decided that she would get no jail. After all, who would take care of the kids? I can understand ... somewhat.
But I can also understand that Lilley is a 36-year-old college-educated woman, previously married, with kids, teaching and coaching for at least a decade, who had a sexual relationship with one of her students. She committed a serious felony. She should have known better. Much better.
This is not a May - December love story. Lilley was an adult in a position of authority who molested a young girl. Lilley should have been sentenced to some time behind bars, maybe not 15 years, but something. She should also be required to register as a sex offender.
In closing, I'll beat a dead horse. What would have been the sentence had a 36-year-old male teacher molested a 15-year-old girl? No jail? I think not.
Companion post at Conservative Thinking.
No comments:
Post a Comment