Teacher Sandra Binkley Gets 12 Years in Sex Case - Updated

(Portland, Tennessee) Sandra Binkley was sentenced yesterday to the maximum -- 12 years in prison. She will serve two, 6-year consecutive terms and must complete 30 percent before being eligible for parole.

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Tennessee Teacher Guilty of Sex Crimes - Updated
[Previous 9/29/09 post]
(Gallatin, Tennessee) Earlier today, the trial of 37-year-old math teacher formerly at Portland High School, Sandra Binkley, concluded with a jury convicting Binkley on two counts of statutory rape by an authority figure.

As a result, Binkley faces three to 12 years in prison when she is sentenced on November 13.

According to Sumner County DA Ray Whitley, the most devastating evidence against Binkley was the record of Facebook communications she had with the victim.

The DA introduced social networking conversations between Binkley and one of the victims. Binkley had said the boy raped her in a school office; however, her online conversations show the two corresponded frequently after the alleged rape. About five months after the alleged rape, Binkley wrote to the boy, "What have you told your friends about us? They're all hitting on me."

Evidence was also presented that Binkley had exchanged more than 3,000 text messages and phone calls with the three boys involved in the sexual scandal. Additionally, after allegedly being raped Binkley bought the male student an Xbox.

During closing arguments, assistant district attorney Sally Brown told the jury that in order for them to believe Binkley's defense that she was raped, they would have to believe in a grand conspiracy theory.

That theory, Brown said, would have to include not only all three boys who said they had sex with her, but the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, all of the school employees who testified and also the physical evidence, which included a condom wrapper found in Binkley's classroom closet.

Brown said for that conspiracy theory to have merit, the jury would have to believe that someone planted the condom wrapper in the closet and somehow planted Binkley's DNA on it.

Binkley could not explain how her DNA ended up on a condom in her classroom closet. Coupled with the Facebook evidence, the jury concluded that Binkley was guilty on two counts of statutory rape. Binkley was acquitted on seven other counts.

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Tennessee Teacher Accused of Sleeping with Student
[Previous 9/26/08 post]
(Portland, Tennessee) A 35-year-old math teacher at Portland High School, Sandra Binkley, has been arrested for allegedly engaging in sex at school with a 17-year-old male student.

The teen's parents reported the alleged March 2008 incident to the authorities.

Portland High School math teacher Sandra Binkley turned herself into police Thursday. She was charged with statutory rape by an authority figure for allegedly having sex with a 17-year-old student on campus during school hours.

"He said she was okay, she was real nice," said Fred Rogan, quoting how his son described the teacher. "He said she was real friendly."

Although it's assumed that Binkley is "real friendly" all the time, police said that the alleged incident appears to be isolated. On the other hand, District Attorney Ray Whitley said it’s too soon to know if it's isolated.

For the time being, Binkley has been suspended from her teaching position without pay.


[Update 10/3/08]

Authorities have allegedly found two additional victims of Sandra Binkley. She now faces three counts of statutory rape by an authority figure and one count of sexual battery.