Illinois Teacher Gets 10 Years In Prison For Having Sex With Teen

A former special education teacher was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday for having a sexual relationship with a teen high school student.

According to a report by Rockford Register Star, Sarah L. Myers, 41, a resident of Garden Prairie, Illinois and a former teacher at North Boone High School, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal sexual assault for participating in sexual activities with a student.

Myers was a special education teacher who also taught mathematics classes. However, the student was not in the special education class, according to Boone County Sheriff’s Department. Boone County prosecutors said the teen reported about the incidents in April where he stated that he was involved in a sexual relationship with Myers from Nov. 2016.

According to Lise Lombardo, First Assistant State’s Attorney, two sexual incidents took place in Boone County. However, Myers was also facing charges for a third alleged sexual activity that happened in Champaign County. The charges for this incident are still pending.

According to Boon County court records, the case was scheduled for trial on Jan 8, 2018. However, both sides came to a decision Wednesday that the plea and the sentencing should take place Friday.

Myers have to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life, Lombardo said. Myers received credit for 261 days spent in jail and she will have to serve the remaining 85 percent of her sentence, Lombardo added.

This is not an isolated incident in Illinois. According to a report by KWQC-TV, an NBC-affiliated television network, a former Geneseo High School teacher, Jayme K. Farrell, 33, was arrested and charged with right counts of sexual abuse Dec 20.

According to court documents from Henry County States Attorney’s Office, Farrell was facing eight counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. These incidents reportedly took place between May and July, 2015.

The district received allegations against Farrell on Dec. 14. The district, in collaboration with Geneseo Police, on Dec. 15, addressed these complaints. On Dec. 19, Farrell submitted his resignation and the school district accepted it, said Superintendent Scott Kuffle of Geneseo School District.

Kuffle, in a letter sent out to the parents following the teacher's resignation, stated: "I am writing to inform you that one of our high school math teachers, Mr. Jayme Farrell, resigned from our District on Tuesday afternoon. We were shocked to learn of the allegations of his inappropriate behavior with students. We only heard of this for the first time late last week. We immediately contacted the Geneseo Police Department and they launched an investigation. We have appreciated the professional support we have received from the Geneseo Police. We also contacted the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). At this point, it appears that the inappropriate contact was with former students and does not involve any students currently attending Geneseo High School in 2017-18."