California Teachers Sentenced - Updated

(Modesto, California) Former teachers Amy and Justin Northcutt were sentenced yesterday in accordance with the terms of an arguably generous plea agreement.

 
Amy & Justin Northcutt
Early this month, the Northcutts pleaded no contest to a felony seduction of a minor charge.

The husband-and-wife defendants, Amy and Justin Northcutt, will serve two and three months in jail, respectively, under the terms of the plea deal.

The Northcutts must register as sex offenders, attend sex offender counseling and stay away from the victim.

Both are set to surrender to jail by the end of November.

It's astonishing that punishment wasn't harsher for attempting to lure a 16-year-old student for sexual acts. Let's not forget that, in the end, we have two teachers who conspired to prey on a student for sex. I contend that each of them should have received a cold, hard, years-long stretch in the big house. (h/t WW)

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California Teachers Guilty of Soliciting Girl - Updated
[Previous 10/3/09 post]
(Modesto, California) Former teachers at Turlock Christian School, Amy and Justin Northcutt, pleaded no contest yesterday in Stanislaus County Superior Court to attempting to seduce a 16-year-old girl for sex.

In exchange for their pleas to felony harmful matter sent with intent of seduction of a minor, Amy Northcutt will receive two months in jail and Justin Northcutt will receive three months in jail.

According to the plea agreement, the Northcutts will be ordered to register as sex offenders, attend (not complete) sex offender counseling and stay away from their victim.

The Northcutts will be eligible to have their charges reduced to misdemeanors after three years on probation. [...]

If the charges were reduced, the Northcutts would no longer be required to be registered as sex offenders, said Amy Northcutt's attorney, Bob Chase.

Although it's not explained why Amy gets less jail time than Justin, the plea deal appears quite generous. (h/t Lame)

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Teachers Accused of Molesting Girl
[Previous 7/30/08 post]
(Turlock, California) In early June, two teachers at Turlock Christian School, Amy and Justin Northcutt, were arrested for sending sexually explicit cell phone messages and photos to a 16-year-old female student to arrange a session of group sex. Amy, 26, and Justin, 27, are married.

They are accused of sending messages and photos to arrange group sex with the girl, said Sheriff's Department spokesman Royjindar Singh.

The Northcutts are scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 3.

The district attorney's office could not specify what charges they will face, and the court did not yet have information Tuesday on the charges.

The Northcutts were arrested June 2 on suspicion of distribution or exhibition of lewd material to a minor and annoying or molesting a child under 18, Singh said.

Amy Northcutt was the girl's high school history teacher. Justin Northcutt was a substitute teacher at Turlock Christian's junior and senior high schools.

Both Northcutts were booked into custody and later released on bail. Amy's bail was $10,000 while Justin's was $25,000.


[Update 12/20/08]

A pretrial hearing was postponed until February because Amy Northcutt recently gave birth. (h/t Stilgar)