Teacher Guilty of Sex with Boy, 14

(Phoenix, Arizona) A 27-year-old teacher's aide at Andalucía Middle School, Alma Hernandez, has pleaded guilty in Maricopa County Superior Court to attempted sexual conduct with a 14-year-old boy.

In accordance with a plea agreement with the county attorney's office, Hernandez will receive a minimum of 10 years in prison.

According to Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, Hernandez found the 14-year-old boy at a playground, took him to her car and had sex with him. The boy's parents learned of the incident and alerted the police.

"This a troubling sign of the times with the recent spate of teachers, teachers aides and others school employees preying on children," Thomas said at a news conference.

To counter the trend of child sex offenders being sentenced to a mere year in jail and probation, Thomas said he instituted minimum 10-year terms. Last week, teacher Jeri Deanne Perez received a 10-year sentence for child sex offenses in the same jurisdiction.

Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25th.

Tip: Don Morgenstern