California Teacher Gets Jail in Sex Case - Updated

(Fresno, California) Maria Vega was sentenced yesterday to 180 days in the Fresno County Jail and three years probation.

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California Teacher Guilty of Unlawful Sex - Updated
[Previous 7/13/10 post]
(Fresno, California) Thirty-five-year-old Maria Angelica Vega, former teacher at Kerman High School, pleaded no contest to unlawful sexual intercourse yesterday for engaging in sex with a 17-year-old male student.

Vega originally pleaded not guilty but changed her plea to avoid a trial and a possible four years in prison.

Attorney Richard Beshwate, who represented Vega, said she changed her plea because "she admits she made a horrible decision" to have sex with a minor. "She's been forthright about what happened."

Vega no longer is employed at Kerman High, where she taught language arts to English learners for less than three years.

She does not plan to teach in the future, Beshwate said. "The classroom is not a good place for her to be."

Beshwate said Vega has mental health problems, including anxiety and depression, that "complicated her decision-making."

Sentencing is scheduled for July 28. Vega remains free on $50,000 bail.

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California Teacher Arrested for Sex with Male Student
[Previous 11/11/09 post]
(Fresno, California) A 34-year-old English teacher at Kerman High School, Maria Angelica Vega, was arrested this week for allegedly engaging in sex with a 17-year-old male student.

Vega reportedly confessed to having a sexual relationship with the student. Investigators stated there is no evidence that the sexual episode(s) occurred on school grounds.

Rumors among students apparently became known to school officials who alerted the police.

Vega was the coach for the girls junior varsity soccer team and taught English to Spanish-speaking students. She was booked into custody and later released. Formal charges have yet to be filed by prosecutors.