Teacher Gets 90 Days for Forcible Sex Abuse

(West Jordan, Utah) In February 2006, 30-year-old Melinda Lee Deluca, the former American Sign Language teacher at Copper Hills High School, was charged with two counts of forcible sexual abuse of one of her students, a 16-year-old boy.

In October, Deluca pleaded guilty to reduced charges of one count of attempted forcible sex abuse in accordance with an agreement with the prosecution.

Yesterday, Deluca, a married mother of two, was sentenced to 90 days in the Salt Lake County Jail for felony forcible sex abuse. Judge Stephen Roth also ordered Deluca to pay a $1,000 fine and complete sex offender treatment.

Deluca's attorney, Earl Xaiz, stated in court that overuse of anti-seizure medication led to the sex abuse. Judge Roth said he would have sentenced her to a year in prison but she showed "sincere remorse" and the victim's family forgave her.

I'll refrain from being too critical of the lenient sentence. After all, of three recent sex crime cases of female teachers in Utah, Deluca is the only one to get any jail time.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 02/23/07]

Deluca asks court for early release from jail.