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Sexual Offense

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Montgomery County Legislator Calls for 'Wholesale Revision' of State's Sex Offender Laws

Sen. Jennie Forehand, Dist. 17, says the state laws fall short.

Policymakers agree that teens need to be protected against the sexual advances of adult coaches, but, to date, no law has been implemented that prohibits part-time coaches from preying on their young proteges outside of school. Two recent cases throw the necessity for such a law into sharp relief. Last week, charges were dropped against Scott Spear, a former part-time track coach at Richard Montgomery High School and a full-time teacher at Julius West Middle School, that he engaged in sex acts with a high school student. In a statement released by the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's Office, prosecutors explained they were not able to pursue the case because of a "major flaw" in Maryland's state law. Kristin Fleckenstein, a …

In this Article:

Prosecuting Sex Offenders Presents Challenges, Lawyers Say, Richard Montgomery High School, Julius West Middle School, and 3 more ›

Pedsfs

12:07 pm on Sunday, March 18, 2012

I am not sure why the ban on sexual relationships with students is limited to full-time school faculty. I don't see an acceptable reason for any adult staff, faculty, or volunteer at any public elementary, middle, or high school to engage in sexual activity with a student at that school.   more ›

Monday, March 12, 2012

Charges Dropped Against Teacher Accused of Sex with Student

Scott Spear had been charged with conducting a sexual affair with a student at Richard Montgomery High School.

The state has dropped charges against Scott Spear, a former teacher at Julius West Middle School, who had been charged with two counts of committing a fourth degree sex offense with a 16-year-old student at Richard Montgomery High School. In a press statement, the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's Office said the case has been dropped due to a "major flaw" in Maryland's sexual offense laws. "The way the current law is written, the accused must be "a full-time, permanent employee" of the school.  In this case, Mr. Spear was not a full-time employee at the school the girl attended.  While he may have been her teacher when she was in middle school, he was not at the time of the allegations.  The age of consent in Maryland is 16.  …

In this Article:

Prosecutors Transfer Case of Teacher Accused of Sex Offenses, Julius West Middle School, and Richard Montgomery High School

Tom Levin

12:38 am on Sunday, July 22, 2012

Witch hunt by the state of Maryland and a huge overreaction. Leave the guy alone. His reputation is already destroyed by this. If the age of consent is 16 and he wasn't the girl's teacher, he did nothing wrong. When is our society going to end this kind of lynch mob mentality. Arrest, destroy, accuse, demonize -- then say I'm sorry when he hasn't broken any law. I for one am glad he charges were …   more ›

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