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Irish American female teacher gets three years for abuse of 13-year-old

Lawyer calls sexual relationship of teen a “serious lapse in judgment”

BERNIE MALONE,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, December 20, 2011, 8:09 AM

Updated Tuesday, December 20, 2011, 11:28 AM

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Kristen Nicole Sullivan, a former Broward in court on Monday to take a plea deal

Photo by Rafael A. Olmeda, , Sun Sentinel

A teacher in Broward, Florida, has been sentenced to three years in prison in lieu of a lifetime on the registered sex offenders list. Kristen Nicole Sullivan (27) was formerly a teacher at Lauderhill Middle School. She entered a no contest plea to aggravated child abuse.

Formally, Sullivan was sentenced to 30 years in prison each for two aggravated child abuse counts and 15 years on each aggravated battery count. The judge said that this sentence will be applied if she does not turn herself in on 3rd January.

In April 2010, Sullivan was arrested when a student claimed he had had a year long relationship with the teacher. The boy’s girlfriend had found incriminating text messages on his cell phone. The teacher had given her student the phone as a gift on his 14th birthday.

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The boy’s girlfriend told police that the text message read, “I'm tired of being the one chasing you”. Another read “Why are you ignoring me?"

On 19th April the police monitored a telephone call between Sullivan and the children. The sexual nature of the relationship was confirmed. She was arrested the next day.

Speaking to the Orlando Sentinel, her lawyer, Bradford Cohen said “it was a serious lapse in judgment" on her part.

Sullivan will also serve five years probation following her jail term during which time she will not be permitted to teach children.

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9 Comments

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nanny2sorli | Dec 26, 2011, 09:01 PM EST

I live in Broward county, and this female was given the choice of 3years in prison or being a registered sex offender without having to serve any time. She apparently chose prison.

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nanny2sorli | Dec 26, 2011, 08:58 PM EST

I live in Broward county, and this female was given the choice of no prison time or being a registered sex offender. She apparently preferred prison. I have never heard of such a deal before.

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IrelandNorth | Dec 21, 2011, 07:50 AM EST

It's an inevitable consequence of equal opportunities. It isn't any more reprehensible that a male opportunist. We need to drop the Catholic inspired myth of feminine sexual passivity. Women are as carnal, if not more so, than men. Read Naomi Wolfe on this. Hope she finds happiness.

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justhimself | Dec 21, 2011, 12:28 AM EST

When I was a 13 year old student in Ireland, getting routine beatings from the De La Salle Brothers, for getting math, Irish, and religon incorrect. I could only say if I had a young female teacher, giving me one on one real life sex education, I would have good school memories now.

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SingleDonald | Dec 20, 2011, 12:06 PM EST

It all comes down to the "act". Penetrating is seldom, if ever seen as traumatic. Being penetrated can often be traumatic, especially for an underage girl. I do feel that women should be held accountable, for offenses with minors. Older minors, say 17, should not be regarded as "victims", if they agreed to the liason. Seventeen is the age of consent, in New York, and many other states. Penalties should reflect the traumatic effect experienced by the younger minor. Thus, a boy would likely not be very traumatized, while a girl might well be. I say, enforce the law equally, but let penalties reflect the negative effects on the minor.

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REM1875 | Dec 20, 2011, 11:52 AM EST

Keynyata you are exactly the type of teacher we are worried about!

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Keynyata | Dec 20, 2011, 11:16 AM EST

Get real...any kid of his age would be delighted to hop into bed with his teacher...I did last week!

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colkelley | Dec 20, 2011, 10:06 AM EST

Gender bias is alive and well in America. If the perpetrator had been male he would be SERVING those sentences instead of three years, permanently banned from teaching and ordered to register as a sex offender for life. On average, for identical crimes men serve sentences on average FOUR TIMES those of women.

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proudirishlass | Dec 20, 2011, 09:55 AM EST

I am shocked at the double standard of the legal system here. How was a sentence of 30 years reduced to 3 years and then she is free to roam. Why is she not required to be a registered sex offender. This woman is a sick predator who needs to punished and then monitored for life. The law should treat both men and women as equals in these crimes.

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