Alabama Teacher Gets Prison - Update

(Pell City, Alabama) Yesterday, former Williams Intermediate School teacher Heather Whitten, 38, was sentenced for sexual abuse of a 14-year-old boy. She received 366 days in prison.

Whitten resigned from her job.

Her brother and a longtime family friend testified on her behalf, saying she was compassionate and cared about children, and was active in her church and the incidents were out of character for her.

Prosecutors say Whitten's sexual relationship with the 14-year-old happened during and after the time she had legal custody of the young man. She had met him as school but wasn't his teacher.

Whitten must report to prison on Thursday.

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Alabama Teacher Accused of Rape
[Previous 2/6/12 post]
(Pell City, Alabama) A 38-year-old fifth-grade teacher at Williams Intermediate School, Heather Whitten, has been accused of second-degree rape.

Under Alabama state law, second-degree rape occurs when someone 16 or older has sex with someone between the ages of 12 and 16. The suspect must be at least two years older than the victim.

According to the school's website, Whitten lives in Pell City, and is married with three children.

She is a 1992 graduate of Pell City High School, with an undergraduate degree in health administration from Auburn in 1997 and a master's in early childhood/elementary education from West Alabama in 2011.

Whitten was booked into custody and released on $5,000 bond.