Ohio Teacher Gets Prison in Sex Case - Updated

(Aurora, Ohio) Former teacher Mary E. Schnell has been sentenced to prison for two years and ordered to register as a Tier III sex offender for the rest of her life.

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Ohio Teacher Guilty in Sex Case - Updated
[Previous 1/26/12 post]
(Aurora, Ohio) Avoiding a trial scheduled for this week, 25-year-old teacher Mary E. Schnell pleaded guilty before Portage County Common Pleas Judge Laurie Pittman to engaging in sex with one of her male students in early 2011.

While convicted on one count of third-degree felony sexual battery, Schnell agreed to a plea that dismissed a second count.

Sentencing is up to Pittman, who ordered a pre-sentence investigation by the Portage County Adult Probation Department. The charge carries a potential sentence of one to five years in prison.

Schnell will be labeled a sex offender and be required to register with the Portage County Sheriff’s Office. She is free on bond, on the condition she have no contact with the victim, according to court records.

The relationship was considered illegal because Schnell was a teacher and therefore in a position of authority over the student.

Despite her ultimate sentence, it's sad that Schnell has effectively torpedoed her career in education, which just recently began. Even though one could blame her crime on a momentary lapse in judgment or maybe immaturity, it will undoubtedly blemish the rest of her life.

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Ohio Teacher Accused of Sex with Male Student
[Previous 7/18/11 post]
(Aurora, Ohio) A 24-year-old substitute teacher with the Aurora School District, Mary Schnell, was indicted last week for allegedly engaging in inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old male student.

Schnell faces charges of two counts of felony sexual battery.

Sheriff David Doak said the charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Aurora and Streetsboro police departments and the Portage County Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation revealed that Schnell and the student were involved in a sexual relationship.

During the relationship, the two engaged in sexual conduct in Mantua Township, according to the Portage County Sheriff’s Office.

Schnell pleaded not guilty at her arraignment today. She is free on $50,000 bond. Trial is scheduled for October.