Former Ohio teacher, Laura Bucy, 34, sentenced to two years behind bars for having sex with a teenage student. Photo / Supllied
Former Ohio teacher, Laura Bucy, 34, sentenced to two years behind bars for having sex with a teenage student. Photo / Supllied
A former high school teacher who confessed to having sex with a teenage student in a classroom pantry has been sentenced to two years in jail.
Laura Bucy, 34, of Ohio in the US, who worked as a home economics teacher, pleaded guilty in June last year to sexual battery – a third-degree felony – after admitting to a sexual relationship with the 17-year-old boy in 2018.
She allegedly told police the student "looked and acted like her husband" and they shared a "very strong connection".
The teen often came into Bucy's classroom to help her clean, according to an arrest report obtained by Oxygen
Former Ohio teacher Laura Bucy, 34, was sentenced to two years behind bars for having sex with a teenage student. Photo / Supplied
On Wednesday, she was given a two-year sentence after the victim and his parents gave emotional statements detailing the long-term damage her sexual abuse has caused their family.
"You have seriously injured this boy," the unidentified victim's father said, according to The Columbus Dispatch. "We fear he will never be the same. I hope the court sends you to prison."
The student's father said Bucy told his son that he could never tell anyone what happened because she could lose her job and her children, the publication reported.
During her sentencing on Wednesday, Bucy said she was remorseful for her actions. Photo / Supplied
The teen, who did not appear in court, provided a written statement that was read aloud. He described how he felt like Bucy "had all the power over me" during the illicit relationship.
He believed that she could have gotten him in trouble at school or altered his grades, he said, according to local station WOIO.
Bucy turned to the victim's family saying: "Every day I think about what occurred and how it must be hard for your family. I'm so sorry for the pain that I caused the victim, his family, my own family and my colleagues."
The relationship took shape at a time when Bucy "felt very overwhelmed with having three kids to care for, working and attending college", according to the police report.
She told police the boy 'looked and acted' like her ex-husband. Photo / Supplied
She originally pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to local reports, and was later released after making a $US50,000 bail while being ordered not to have any contact with the teenager.
She later pleaded guilty (September 2018), told police the teen "looked and acted" like her ex-husband and confessed to having sex with him in a classroom pantry after lunch in February or March.
She told investigators she and the boy only had sexual intercourse once, but the pair later sent sexually explicit photos and videos to each other on Snapchat, a social media application that allows photos and videos to disappear after 24 hours.
Bucy admitted supplying the teen liquid to use in his vaping device and allowed him to use it in her office because she knew he liked it.
She also admitted buying about $10 of marijuana from another student, police said.
In his statement, the young boy said he began "drinking alone in my room on weekdays".
"I started to isolate myself from others and stopped communication with my family so I could be alone," he said.
"I pray you are never allowed to work with students," the teen said, adding the abuse had damaging effects. "No kid should ever have to go through this."
She was a home economics teacher at Twinsburg High School in Ohio, US. Photo / Cleveland19
According to Bucy's lawyer Larry Whitney, the former teacher had a "great deal of remorse" and wanted to get to the "bottom of why this occurred".
Before being sentenced, Mr Whitney argued that Bucy suffered from a mental illness, which played a role in her behaviour, according to Oxygen.
The judge decided jail time was appropriate, not just probation and therapy, and said she would consider an early release after six months.
"Certainly, I believe there are some real concerns about you moving forward," Judge Ross said.
Bucy, who will now have to register as a sex offender as part of her sentence, has surrendered her teaching certificate.
