Sentenced to five years each on six count to be served concurrently.
INDICTED Dec 11, 2007 - Crystal Wells, 33, a math teacher at Deming High School, was indicte
d by a grand jury on six counts of third-degree rape. She turned herself in and was arrested. [Third degree rape is defined as a person over the age of 21 who has sexual intercourse with someone under the age of 16. under KRS 510.060,]
Crystal Wells is accused of engaging in sex four times in August and twice in November with a 15-year-old male student, state police said.
SUSPENDED She was suspended for five days after sending more than 3,000 text messages to the boy. Wells provided the boy with the cell phone, according to Kentucky State Police. The district maintains that there was no evidence of a sex crime against Crystal Wells at the time. [Odd how some school districts NEVER find evidence of a crime.]
RESIGNED Wells resigned Nov 13 two days after state police opened an investigation after being contacted by the boy's family.Authorities said family members had found text messages on the boy's cell phone and felt they were indicative of a sexual relationship.
Also see Ledger Independent coverage. (Dec 10)
Wells is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 14.
GUILTY PLEA Mar 3, 2008 - Wells is married and the mother of two small children. In a pretrial appearance, she pleaded guilty to amended charges of unlawful transaction with a minor on each count. The plea agreement calls for five years on each count to run concurrently. She will be sentenced Apr 14.
Wells was indicted in December. Prior to the indictment, only text message incidents during school time were acted on by school officials. Allegedly more than 3,000 text messages may have been exchanged between Wells and the boy. According to minutes of the October 2007 Deming school board meeting, the board approved the Sept. 17, 2007, minutes which listed Wells as suspended without pay for one week and with pay for a second week, Aug. 27-Sept. 7, 2007.
SENTENCED April 14 - Wells was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Wells was sentenced to five years on each of the six charges - to run concurrently. She is required to attend sex offender counseling, relinquish her Kentucky licence to teach. Her attorney wanted probation citing the fact that she had resigned from her job, her marriage was falling apart and a divorce was pending which would be affecting her two young daughters., but Circuit Court Judge Robert McGinnis did not buy the argument.
McGinnis disagreed, citing the impact statements and facts of the case, with the boy's mother and supporters of the victims' family, and Wells family and church members present, McGinnis formally sentenced Wells to five years on each count to be served concurrently.And,
If Wells' offense had been a single incident; if she had ceased contact with the victim after a confrontation by the boy's family; if she had not been a teacher, the offense may have warranted probation, McGinnis said."I have to treat this the same as I would a male teacher and a female student," McGinnis said. "I am not sure anyone benefits from jail."
Citing the reduced charge from the original charges in the guilty plea and concessions already made by the commonwealth, the judge said there would be no probation at the time being. Wells is also shielded from prosecution from possible criminal charges in Nicholas County involving the same victim."A significant break has already been cut with the plea," McGinnis said. "Probation is denied ... you are in custody."
