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Bethany Sherrill, 25, of Farmington, Missouri, worked in Special Services at Jefferson Elementary School. In April 2005, she was indicted on a charge of second-degree statutory sodomy of a 14-year-old student. The charge was a result of a police investigation which took place after authorities were contacted by the parent of the 16-year-old.
According to reports, the parent was checking her son's text messages and found messages referencing sexual acts which were allegedly sent by Sherrill.
The boy denied having sexual contact with Sherrill, but the investigation turned up a second student, who told police that when he was 14, Sherill had performed oral sex on him.
As part of a plea agreement, in November 2006, Sherrill entered an Alford plea to a misdemeanor charge of first-degree sexual misconduct by contact. By entering an Alford plea, Sherrill did not admit to any part of the crime, but recognized there was sufficient evidence for trial.
She was sentenced to 30 days in the county jail, two years of supervised probation, surrendering her teaching certificate and she will now be required to register as a sex offender. Along with the sentence, Sherrill is required to attend sex offender education and counseling and has been ordered not have any contact with the victim.
