TONIGHT AN INVESTIGATION OF
LOCAL TEACHERS ARRESTED.
THE LATEST WAS THIS
AFTERNOON.
ZACHARY IS CHARGED WITH UNLAWFUL
SEXUAL ACTIVITY.
THE VICTIM IS 16 OR 17 YEARS
OLD.
THENCE DENT WAS IN OCTOBER OF
LAST YEAR AND OCCURRED AT THE
SCHOOL.
IT WAS JUST REPORTED TO POLICE
LAST WEEK.
THE TEACHER HAS BEEN REMOVED
FROM THE CLASSROOM PENDING THE
OUTCOME OF THE INVESTIGATION.
THIS COMES AS THE I TEAM HAS
BEEN DIGGING INTEREST A TREND OF
SIMILAR CASES, A CLOSER LOOK AT
SOME OF THE ARRESTS AND JAIL
SENTENCES REVEALS MOST TEACHERS
CAUGHT DO LITTLE JAIL TIME.
THE MOTHER OF A JACKSONVILLE
GIRL IS CALLING FOR HARSHER JAIL
TIME.
WE EXAMINED CASES FOR MORE
THAN THREE YEARS BETWEEN JANUARY
OF 2012 TO JULY OF 2015.
DURING THAT TIME FRAME, TEN MALE
AND FEMALE TEACHERS WERE ALL
ACCUSED OF HAVING SEX WITH THEIR
STUDENTS.
BUT ONLY TWO RECEIVED A LENGTHY
JAIL SENTENCE.
PROMPTING THE QUESTION ARE LOCAL
TEACHERS ACCUSED OF HAVING SEX
WITH STUDENTS CATCHING A BREAK
THROUGH PLEA DEAL NEGOTIATIONS?
THESE TEACHERS HAD SEX ON THEIR
MINDS.
POLICE ACASED ALL TEN OF HAVING
SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR
STUDENTS, BUT ONLY TWO SERVED
SERIOUS JAIL TIME.
IN 2012 CHRISTOPHER RECEIVED A
40 YEAR SENTENCE FOR HAVING SEX
WITH YOUNG MALE STUDENTS.
MICHAEL WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE
BEHIND BARS FOR MOLESTING TWO
YOUNG GIRLS BETWEEN THE AGES OF
9 AND 13.
IN TWO OTHER CASES THE VICTIMS
WOULDN'T COOPERATE WITH
INVESTIGATORS.
TWO WEST SIDE HIGH SCHOOL
TEACHERS WALKED FREE.
AS FOR THE REMAINING SECTION,
THEY TOOK PLEA DEALS.
ONE OF THEM WAS LEONARD HOFFMAN
WHO WAS CONVICTED OF HAVING SEX
WITH THIS WOMAN'S DAUGHTER.
I WOULDN'T WISH IT ON MY
WORST ENEMY.
IT'S AN AWFUL, AWFUL SITUATION.
NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH
THAT.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TRUST THE
PEOPLE WHO WE GIVE OUR CHILDREN
TO EIGHT HOURS A DAY.
THIS MOTHER SAID HER
16-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER HAD AN
ONGOING RELATIONSHIP WITH HER.
SHE SAYS HER DAUGHTER'S GRADES
STARTED DROPPING, HER
PERSONALITY CHANGED.
IT WOULD TAKE MONTHS TO ADMIT
THEY WERE INVOLVED INTIMATELY.
SHE TOOK OFF, SHE RAN AWAY TO
HANG OUT WITH HIM DURING THE
DAY.
I BELIEVE IT WAS A SCHOOL DAY.
POLICE CHARGED HIM WITH TWO
COUNTS OF HAVING SEX WITH A
MINOR.
BUT LIKE SO MANY OTHER TEACHER
SEX CASES, ACCORDING TO LAWYERS,
TIFFANY'S DAUGHTER WASN'T STRONG
ENOUGH TO TESTIFY IN COURT.
HOFFMAN PLEADED GUILTY TO ADULT
SEX WITH A 16-YEAR-OLD AND WAS
SENTENCED TO ONE YEAR IN PRISON.
IT WAS FRUSTRATING TO SIT
THERE, TALK WITH THE DA AND
AGREE TO LESS OF A PUNISHMENT.
MY HOPE WAS 15 YEARS,
ABSOLUTELY.
BUT AGAIN, I WOULDN'T PUT MY
DAUGHTER THROUGH THAT.
BECAUSE IT'S A TEACHER, SO
PUBLIC, THAT VICTIMS ARE MORE
LIKELY TO NOT WANT TO TESTIFY?
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK THAT THE MOMENT HE WAS
ARRESTED, MY DAUGHTER WAS SCARED
THAT SHE WOULD BE LABELED IN
SCHOOL.
SHE WAS.
SHE DID NOT CONTINUE AT THAT
SCHOOL.
A LOT OF TIMES THE VICTIM IS
STILL INFATUATED WITH THEIR
TEACHER.
SO THEY DON'T WANT TO BETRAY
THEM.
AND THEY BLAME THEMSELVES.
FORMER SEX CRIMES PROSECUTOR
SAYS WITHOUT THE VICTIM'S
TESTIMONY, LAWYERS HAVE A TOUGH
TIME BUILDING THEIR CASE,
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO
PROVING HOW MANY TIMES THE
SEXUAL ACT OCCURRED.
TEENAGE VICTIMS WANT TO AVOID
THE PUBLIC SPECTACLE OF GOING TO
TRIAL TO TESTIFY.
WHEN IT COMES TO WOMEN WHO HAVE
SEX WITH MALE STUDENTS, THERE IS
A DOUBLE STANDARD.
TEACHERS IN GENERAL GET A
BREAK.
BUT ESPECIALLY WOMEN TEACHERS,
THAT PREJUDICE IS COMING OFF THE
TOP.
LOCALLY, ATLANTIC COAST HIGH
SCHOOL TEACHER DANIEL REID
ACCEPTED A PLEA DEAL AND NEVER
SERVED PRISON TIME FOR HAVING
SEX WITH TEENAGE BAYS.
CLAY COUNTY ELEMENTARY TEACHER
SERVED ONE YEAR IN JAIL FOR
HAVING SEX WITH A 16-YEAR-OLD IN
2013.
PREJUDICES AMONG JUDGES.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THE
BOYS FACE INITIALLY, NO ONE
THINKS THEY ARE A VICTIM,
INCLUDING THEMSELVES, BASED ON
THE PREJUDICES PEOPLE HAVE, I
WOULD BE SO LUCKY.
BUT THE REALITY IS NOT WHAT THE
FANTASY IS.
WE ASKED THIS MALE CONVICTED
SEX OFFENDER WHO SPENT MORE THAN
TEN YEARS IN PRISON HOW HE FEELS
ABOUT SOME TEACHERS COMMITTING A
SIMILAR CRIME AND RECEIVING A
LESSER PENALTY.
HERE I AM, YOU KNOW, I GOT A
13 YEAR SENTENCE.
I DID 11 YEARS AND 15 DAYS IN
PRISON, I'M STILL ON PROBATION.
THEN WITH THESE TEACHERS, WHAT
ABOUT THEM?
IT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.
IT SHOULDN'T BE A REVOLVING DOOR
FOR THESE PEOPLE.
THIS MOTHER SAYS SHE WANTS
LAWMAKERS TO CONSIDER A MINIMUM
MANDATORY SENTENCE FOR TEACHERS
CONVICTED OF HAVING SEX WITH
THEIR STUDENTS.
THEY ASK THAT STUDENTS BE GIVEN
THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY BY
VIDEO.
THE LAW DOES ALLOW SEX CRIME
VICTIMS TO ENTER VIDEO
TESTIMONY, BUT THE VICTIM HAD TO
BE UNDER THE AGE OF 16.
THE PROSECUTOR SAYS THAT UNDER
THE LAW, IF A TEENAGER IS OLD
ENOUGH TO DRIVE, THEY ARE OLD
ENOUGH TO CONSENT TO SEX.
SO 15 AND UNDER IS NOT ABLE
TO CONSENT TO ANY TYPE OF SEX.
A 16-YEAR-OLD IS ABLE TO CONSENT
TO SEXUAL CONTACT EXCEPT IF THEY
ARE OVER THE AGE OF 23 OR 24 AND
ABOVE.
SHE CANNOT CONSENT TO THAT.
AS TO THIS MOTHER'S IDEA OF A
MINIMUM MANDATORY, IS THAT EVEN
FEASIBLE?
CONVICTED TEACHERS THAT HAVE SEX
WITH THEIR STUDENTS?
THERE IS A MANDATORY MINUTE
YUM! FOR A LOT OF THINGS.
BUT WHETHER THE LEGISLATURE CAN
PASS THAT, OR WILL PASS THAT,
REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
SO THIS PROBLEM OF GETTING
STUDENT VICTIMS TO TESTIFY IN
COURT AGAINST THEIR TEACHERS IS
SOMETHING THAT IS HAPPENING
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
LAWMAKERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY
CONSIDERING A MINIMUM MANDATORY
SENTENCE FOR TEACHERS, BUT THAT
COULD CHANGE IF LAWMAKERS FOLLOW
THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA'S LEAD
THEY ARE PUSHING FOR TEN YEAR
MINIMUM SENTENCE.
WHAT IF THEY CANNOT OR WILL
NOT TESTIFY IN COURT?
THE COURT CAN IMPOSE A
HARSHER PENALTY AND THEY ARE.
FOR INSTANCE, IN THE CASE THAT
WE FEATURED IN THE STORY OF
LEONARD HOFFMAN, WHILE HE ONLY
RECEIVED A YEAR IN PRISON FOR
HAVING SEX WITH A 16-YEAR-OLD
GIRL, HE HAS BEEN LABELED A SEX