Maryland, November 21: Melissa Marie Curtis, a 32-year-old former teacher at Montgomery Village Middle School in Maryland, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, with all but 12 months suspended, for having sex with a 14-year-old student in 2015. Curtis, who was 22 at the time, repeatedly engaged in sex with the eighth-grader, with over 20 encounters taking place in her car, the school, and various residences, including her mother’s home.

Court documents revealed that Curtis also provided the minor with alcohol and marijuana, reported Fox 5 DC. The incidents occurred while the victim volunteered for an after-school program Curtis supervised. Police launched an investigation in October 2023 after the now-adult victim came forward. US: Math Teacher Pleads Guilty to Having Sex With 16-Year-Old Student in Missouri, Placed Under House Arrest Until Sentencing.

An investigation found that the sexual assaultshappened over the course of several months, until eventually ending in April 2015. Curtis turned herself in on November 7, 2023, and was charged with multiple counts of third- and fourth-degree sexual offenses. Sex With Students in Missouri: Teacher Arrested For Offering Money, Drugs and Alcohol to Kids in Exchange for Sex.

In June 2024, Curtis pleaded guilty to three counts of third-degree offenses. Along with her one-year prison sentence, she was ordered to register as a sex offender for 25 years and will face strict restrictions, including no unsupervised contact with minors other than her own children. She was also sentenced to serve five years of probation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 21, 2024 04:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).