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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Katie Forster

Teacher admits having sex with 14-year-old student in her classroom and car

A teacher from Tennessee has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor after sleeping with her 14-year-old student on multiple occasions.

Serena Milan, 28, was teaching English intervention classes when she had sex with the boy on at least half a dozen occasions, including in her classroom and car, according to court records seen by the Independent.

In the spring of 2015, Ms Milan began sending the pupil graphic messages and photographs and inviting him to meet her out of school hours.

The former teacher won’t be going to prison, but instead received a probationary sentence at yesterday’s hearing and will be placed on the sex offenders register for 20 years, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

The boy’s mother filed a lawsuit of more than $2 million (£1.5 million) against Ms Milan and her former colleague and school coach Sean Green, in which the school is also accused of doing little to stop or prevent the victimisation of students by teachers and staff. 

In the UK, Lauren Cox, a former geography teacher from Surrey, was sentenced in May to 12 months in jail and placed on the sex offenders register for having sex with a 16-year-old pupil.

Ms Cox, 27, reportedly screamed in court as she was sentenced last month after admitting to several counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child under 18 while in a position of trust.

She first met the boy at a school in south east London when he was aged 13 and started an eight-month relationship with him when he turned 16.

Lauren Cox (Press Association)

Ms Cox, who was married at the time, sent explicit photos and videos to the boy and met him for sex “at least once a week,” said prosecutor Brian Reece.

The pupil invented imaginary girlfriends to explain his erratic behaviour to his family, but the affair was discovered by his mother, who confronted Ms Cox and later reported her to the school.

“I fell in love and thought the feeling mutual. If there’s any small chance I might resurrect my career, I will fight for it,” Ms Cox said in a letter to the court, according to the Mirror.

And last month, a teacher at a sixth form college in Farnborough was banned from the profession for having sex with a 17-year-old student.

Simon Bickford-Smith, 39, was found guilty of unacceptable professional misconduct by a National College for Teaching and Leadership panel after inviting a female pupil to his flat for coffee and having sex with her, according to the BBC.

Hampshire police said they had investigated the situation but found no crime had been committed.

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