Former teacher Kelsey Peterson facing charges of kidnapping and more for fleeing to Mexico with student
This is one ridiculous story, try to keep up.
Kelsey Peterson is a 25 year old sixth grade teacher at Lexington Middle School, in Lexington, Nebraska. Peterson was having a somewhat long term sexual relationship with a 13 year old male student. When school officials found out about their relationship, they alerted authorities. Peterson must have found out about the investigation and fled to Mexico with the 13 year old boy, sparking a nationwide search for the pair.
The boy is reported as referring to Peterson as his ‘Baby Gurl’, and telling friends at his home for high-risk boys that their relationship was more than just sex.
Through FBI cooperation with Mexican authorities, Peterson was eventually caught in Mexicali Mexico, and eventually returned to the US.
Peterson is facing charges of kidnapping, child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and federal charges of transporting a minor across state lines or a foreign border for sexual activity.
There was much confusion involving the boy, who was left in Mexico with family. Petersons lawyer tried to say the boy was older than 13, however that was proven incorrect, and the boy is actually 13. The boy then was returned to the US, temporarily, to live with his mother in Nebraska. Apparently he may receive a new visa, even though he was living in the US illegally for four years, due to being a victim of a crime.
Peterson has plead not guilty and is set to start trial in July 2008. Her lawyers are trying to arrange a plea agreement for Peterson to face state charges rather than federal charges.
If this teacher doesn’t do some REAL time I will have lost all faith in the United States justice system, and move myself, my family, and my servers to Canada. Or maybe Mexicali.
Update — 07/22/2008
Kelsey Peterson has plead guilty to a lesser charge of having sex with a minor across state lines. As a result of her plea deal she will serve 70-87 months in prison.
Peterson still has pending charges of kidnapping and first-degree sexual assault on the state level that her lawyer is seeking to get dropped.
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