Debra Lafave pleads Guilty and Gets a slap on the wrist
Debra Lafave, 25, the former Florida teacher pleaded guilty today in a plea agreement to 
having sex with a 14-year-old male student. In the plea agreement Debra LaFave will avoid prison but will serve three years house arrest and seven years probation.
Debra Lafave, 25, will serve three years of house arrest and seven years’ probation. She pleaded guilty to two counts of lewd and lascivious battery. The former Greco Middle School reading teacher apologized during the hearing, saying “I accept full responsibility for my actions.”
The boy told investigators the two had sex in a classroom at the Greco school, located in Temple Terrace near Tampa, in her Riverview town house and once in a vehicle while his 15-year-old cousin drove them around Marion County.
Hillsborough Circuit Judge Wayne Timmerman said LaFave also will forever lose her teaching certificate, must register with the state as a sexual predator, may not have any contact with children including the victim, and will not be allowed to profit from the sale of her story or personal appearances.
Fox News: “I accept full responsibility for my actions,” Greco Middle School teacher Debra Lafave, 25, said during Tuesday’s trial in Tampa. (video of plea available)
I guess this is another variation of a double standard.
Tampa Bay’s 10 News: VIDEO LATEST: Tampa Teacher Debra LaFave now a sex offender
This means she will avoid any jail time.
Her charges run consecutively, with a total of probation for 10 years.
After she serves the two years of community control, she can come back to court and ask the court to convert her third year of community control to probation.
The Hillsborough County Prosecutor Mike Sinacore says they state agreed to this deal at the request of the victim’s mother who wanted to spare her son from testifying.
Reuters: Florida woman gets probation for sex with student
Sky News: ‘Pretty’ Teacher Avoids Jail Term
A female teacher dubbed “too pretty for jail” has avoided prison after pleading guilty to having sex with a 14-year-old student.Debra Lafave will instead serve three years of house arrest after a plea bargain was agreed.John Fitzgibbons had argued at previous hearings that the blonde teacher would not survive jail and that imprisoning her would have been like “putting a piece of raw meat in with the lions”.
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Pingback by Scared Monkeys » Blog Archive » Debra Lafave pleads Guilty in Sex Case and Gets a slap on the wrist | November 22, 2005
How do you survive with no job? Unemployment for a little while, and then what? She was better off in jail or hope her parents have money.
Comment by Jackie | November 22, 2005
That “woman” should rot in prison.
Comment by justinsmama | November 22, 2005
“putting a raw piece of meat in with the lions”??? Isn’t she a lion to our kids? Why is it so hard for some adults to keep their hands off of kids? Let her butt rot in jail and see what it is like to have to watch your back. That’s what our kids have to do. We can’t even send them to school without man or woman touching on them.
Comment by mad as hell | March 7, 2006
What can we do to help both Debra and the young man?
Comment by James Laing | November 4, 2006