Texas Teacher Guilty in Boy Sex Case

(Seagraves, Texas) Earlier today, 32-year-old reading teacher Candra Dee Payton, pleaded guilty to an improper relationship with a 15-year-old male student in accordance with an agreement with the prosecution.

In exchange for her guilty plea, Payton reportedly receives probation for 10 years, 400 hours of community service and a $10,000 fine. She will not have to register as a sex offender. Again a female sex criminal gets no jail.

It's not clear whether Payton has been formally sentenced or the reporting merely describes the content of the plea agreement.

In any event, what starts as multiple sex crimes with a possible punishment of life in prison has been dealt down to an improper relationship crime resulting in probation. Kind of lenient application of justice, I'd say. However, to be fair the reporting on this case has been sketchy and there may be a number of mitigating factors.


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Reading Teacher Jailed for Sex with Boy
[Previous 3/2/07 post]
(Seagraves, Texas) A 31-year-old reading teacher at Seagraves Junior High, Candra Dee Payton, has been arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old male student. Payton surrendered at the Gaines County Jail yesterday afternoon.

Gaines was indicted by a grand jury on felony counts of assault -indecency with a child, improper relationship between an educator and a student, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

The Seagraves ISD placed Payton on administrative leave and, of course, the sex scandal is the talk of this small community about 60 miles southwest of Lubbock.

If convicted, Payton faces a possible life sentence. She is currently in custody with bond set at $600,000.