Ex-teacher pleads guilty in sex case
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A former Louisiana School for the Deaf teacher accused of maintaining an improper relationship with a female student will likely be put on probation after pleading guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
State District Judge Tony Marabella said he will sentence 39-year-old Christopher Watson on Oct. 21.
Watson, who was arrested in November on a charge of indecent behavior with a juvenile, pleaded guilty Wednesday to the lesser charge of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
Marabella said he will likely give Watson a suspended two-year prison term and put him on probation for five years with conditions. Those conditions will be announced at the sentencing, he said.
“We’re happy with the resolution. We’re happy to get it behind us,’’ said Watson’s attorney, Marci Blaize. She called Watson a good person who made a serious error in judgment.
Watson, who is deaf, was one of five people — three of them current or former teachers at the School for the Deaf — arrested between November and April on sex-related charges involving students at the school.
Charges against the other four people have not been resolved.
Watson, who started working as an instructor at the Brightside Lane school in 1994, began exchanging sexually explicit e-mails and photographs with a 16-year-old female student while he was a social studies teacher there, prosecutor Sue Bernie said.
Watson left on good terms with school administration at the end of the 2006-2007 school year, before the correspondence came to light.
An affidavit says the relationship between Watson and the girl continued for two years and that messages indicated the pair was planning to meet to have sex.
Bernie said indecent behavior with a juvenile carries up to seven years in prison. Contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile carries up to two years.
Upon conviction, both require registration as a sex offender, she said.
State District Judge Tony Marabella said he will sentence 39-year-old Christopher Watson on Oct. 21.
Watson, who was arrested in November on a charge of indecent behavior with a juvenile, pleaded guilty Wednesday to the lesser charge of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
Marabella said he will likely give Watson a suspended two-year prison term and put him on probation for five years with conditions. Those conditions will be announced at the sentencing, he said.
“We’re happy with the resolution. We’re happy to get it behind us,’’ said Watson’s attorney, Marci Blaize. She called Watson a good person who made a serious error in judgment.
Watson, who is deaf, was one of five people — three of them current or former teachers at the School for the Deaf — arrested between November and April on sex-related charges involving students at the school.
Charges against the other four people have not been resolved.
Watson, who started working as an instructor at the Brightside Lane school in 1994, began exchanging sexually explicit e-mails and photographs with a 16-year-old female student while he was a social studies teacher there, prosecutor Sue Bernie said.
Watson left on good terms with school administration at the end of the 2006-2007 school year, before the correspondence came to light.
An affidavit says the relationship between Watson and the girl continued for two years and that messages indicated the pair was planning to meet to have sex.
Bernie said indecent behavior with a juvenile carries up to seven years in prison. Contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile carries up to two years.
Upon conviction, both require registration as a sex offender, she said.
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