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Queens Teacher Pleads Guilty To Sex With 14-Year-Old Student
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 5, 2009
Modified Aug 5, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 5, 2009
Modified Aug 5, 2009
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Melissa Weber, the social studies teacher at a Queens public school who was accused of having an affair with a 14-year-old student back in May, has pleaded guilty to statutory rape. Queens DA RIchard Brown said, “As a teacher, the defendant’s actions represent a disturbing betrayal of trust to the student, his parents and the school that employed her... The defendant’s admission of guilt today not only ensures that she is held responsible for her actions but it also spares the young victim in this case the emotional trauma of having to testify at trial.” As it happens, the 27-year-old's plea deal also spares her from a prison sentence, as she's likely to receive 10 years probation—plus she would register as a sex offender (which means her teaching license is revoked), will have to let the Probation Department know about her various Internet usernames, will not be able to use social network websites and can't visit "school grounds or any other places where children under the age of eighteen may be congregating." The "affair" was discovered when the student's mother found text messages between her son and Weber.
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Melissa Weber
probation
queens
statutory rape
teacher student sex
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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