No Jail for NYC Teacher Guilty of Rape - Updated

(Queens, New York) Yesterday, social studies teacher Melissa Weber, 28, pleaded guilty to second-degree rape of a 14-year-old male student and was sentenced to time served and probation.

A tearful Weber admitted to engaging in seven sexual episodes with the boy in a school classroom between 3PM and 6PM.

"She said she was remorseful," said Weber's lawyer, Donald Vogelman, who blamed his client's behavior on a dysfunctional upbringing. "She accepted responsibility for what she did."

The family agreed to the plea deal because they didn't want the teenager to have to testify in a lengthy court case, prosecutors said.

In addition to probation, Weber must surrender her teaching credentials and register as a sex offender. She is also barred from accessing social networking sites frequented by minors.

Frankly, I believe that some jail time is warranted when a teacher is convicted of raping a student in a classroom on multiple occasions. In addition to being criminal, Weber's behavior showed a disregard for the child, a disregard for the school and a disregard for the profession of teaching.

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NYC Teacher Accused of Rape
[Previous 5/29/09 post]
(Queens, New York) A 27-year-old social studies teacher at MS/IS 8, Melissa Weber, has been accused of statutory rape of a 14-year-old boy. Reportedly, Weber had sex with the student in a school classroom on seven separate occasions between April 13 and May 14.

According to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, the boy's mother was tipped to the alleged sexual relationship by sources at the school.

The mother obtained the teacher's telephone number and then checked her son's cell phone and allegedly found hundreds of contacts between the teacher and her son over the last two months. The boy's parents then called police.

According to investigators, one of the last texts from the teacher stated, "Erase your phone."

Weber faces seven counts of second-degree rape, fourteen counts of third-degree sexual abuse and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.

[Update] Fixed wrong pic. Thanks to commenter B2r.