Tennessee Teacher Gets Prison in Sex Case - Update

(Sullivan County, Tennessee) Former Sullivan East High School teacher Sherri Baffa has pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor in accordance with an agreement with the prosecution.

As a consequence, Baffa was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Baffa, 37, entered an Alford, or best-interest, plea of guilty to the charges Monday in front of Sullivan County Circuit Court Judge Jerry Beck.

The plea agreement required Baffa to agree to serve 100 percent of an 8-year prison term and pay a $2,000 fine.

Baffa must also undergo a sexual offender evaluation and will be placed on the Tennessee Sexual Offender Registry for a minimum of 10 years. After that, she may petition to be removed from the registry.

She must also pay a $3,000 sexual offender surcharge.

The authorities were initially alerted to Baffa's sex offenses by her ex-husband who, oddly, faces similar charges.

* * * * *
Tennessee Teacher Accused of Sex Offenses
[Previous 9/3/11 post]
(Sullivan County, Tennessee) A 36-year-old math teacher at Sullivan East High School, Sherri Baffa, has been accused of sex offenses involving a male juvenile.

Baffa faces seven counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office reports Det. Jason Hite presented evidence this week to the grand jury, concerning explicit photos of an adult female and juvenile male.[…]

SCSO Public Information Officer Leslie Earhart says police received an initial report of the alleged crimes in May of this year. She said the photos concerned were dated 2007, but declined to comment on Baffa's relationship with the victim. Police identified him as 16-years-old at the time of the alleged offenses.

Baffa was booked into custody at the Sullivan County Jail and subsequently released on $50,000 bond.