Teacher Heminghaus Guilty

(St. Louis, Missouri) In January 2006, a 46-year-old special-needs teacher at Ferguson Middle School, Cathy Heminghaus, was charged with 19 felony counts of statutory sodomy resulting from allegedly engaging in oral sex with behaviorally-maladjusted students aged 13 to 15.

Heminghaus apparently told her friends that she had performed oral sex on students beginning in October 2005. Her friends told school officials. According to Prosecutor John Quarenghi, "the victims told police that some of oral sex acts took place in a classroom at the middle school while one boy would serve as lookout for another."

Earlier today, Heminghaus, now 47, pleaded no contest to 21 counts of statutory sodomy before Judge David Lee Vincent III in St. Louis County Circuit Court. She also pleaded no contest to two counts of a teacher having sex with a student and two counts of giving the students alcohol.

Heminghaus told Judge David Lee Vincent III today that she is aware her no contest plea means she is not admitting guilt but is conceding there is a substantial likelihood of a guilty verdict if she had proceeded to trial.

There was no plea deal. As a result, Judge Vincent III will rule within the range of probation to a possible sentence of life in prison plus 150 years.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 14th. The prosecutor said he would recommend a sentence of at least 12 years in prison. I'm thinking 15 years or more would be appropriate, something closer to retirement age.


[Update 7/3/08]

Heminghaus convicted by a jury on seven counts of sex crimes with students. Sentencing is scheduled for August 20.