Ontario Teacher Sentenced for Sex with Female - Updated

(Mississauga, Ontario) Sentencing of former teacher Leslie Merlino on convictions of breach of probation and sexual exploitation of a female student occurred this week.

Merlino received no jail but was ordered to register as a sex offender for 20 years and to submit a DNA sample to the state.

However, the sentence did not order Merlino to keep away from the former student.

The two women are apparently free to resume their intimacy should they wish, though it is not known if they are still romantically involved.

In any event, the convictions ended Merlino's teaching career.

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Ontario Teacher Accused of Sex with Female
[Previous 10/29/08 post]
(Mississauga, Ontario) A 38-year-old former teacher at Streetsville Secondary School, Leslie Merlino, has been accused of engaging in sex with a female student for the second time.

Merlino was scheduled to go to trial on the new charges today in Brampton court. Peel Regional Police charged her last year with sexual assault, sexual exploitation, failing to comply with an undertaking and breach of probation.

The charges relate to an incident with a 19-year-old female. She was 18 when the charges were laid, police said.

Court records show that last year, Merlino was convicted of assault and given a suspended sentence with 18 months probation following an incident in the fall of 2006 with a female student, then aged 17.

Peel Police charged her after the female student at the school began chatting online and exchanging emails with a woman on several occasions in the fall of 2006.

Police said the emails contained "sexually-explicit content."

Merlino is no longer teaching for the Peel School District.