An Ohio teacher is facing jail time after sending lewd photos to… ugh… a middle school student.
Ana D’Ettorre, a former teacher at Liberty Junior School in Liberty Township, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual misconduct with a minor and one count of sharing material harmful to juveniles after grooming a 14-year-old male student with explicit photos. The 25-year-old was originally charged with 12 criminal counts, according to WKRC.
Apparently, D’Ettorre, 24 at the time, served as a student teacher at the Lakota School District middle school during the second semester of the 2021-2022 school year, while also attending Christian college Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. It was during that time she began to form an inappropriate relationship with the teen boy through Snapchat, sending the victim numerous sexually explicit photos.
After D’Ettorre’s time teaching at the school ended, she remained in contact with the minor — and even arranged to meet with him outside of school between May 21 and August 30 of last year, according to Journal-News. In a police report obtained by WKRC, the young teen told police he once snuck out of his home to meet D’Ettorre at night. He claimed that in addition to sending him nude photos, the two also had sex three times, according to the report.
Butler County prosecutor Mike Gmoser told the local news station:
“The long-term effects of having that sexualization are dramatic and destructive, and we know it. The science is there, and that’s why it is prohibited, and that’s why we punish by appropriate sentences those people who are engaged in that type of activity.”
Betsy Fuller, spokesperson for the Lakota School District said after being notified of the investigation, the school was fully compliant with law enforcement. She wrote in a statement:
“We are incredibly disappointed that such serious charges have been brought upon a student teacher who spent time with our students.”
She added that the district received no complaints relating to D’Ettorre during her time teaching.
Since she entered her plea deal, the court has dropped the other 10 charges of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, according to documents. Now, D’Ettorre is facing up to two years behind bars when she is officially sentenced, in addition to being required to register as a Tier 2 sex offender. Her next court date is slated for April 11.
We hope the victim can eventually recover from the abuse, and that justice will be served during that court date. See more from her December court appearance (below):
Do YOU think two years is enough? What should schools do to protect their kids better in advance? Let us know in the comments down below.
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