On Dec. 19, the attorney of a Tennessee teacher who was accused of kidnapping a 15-year-old student in early 2017 filed a motion to prevent certain statements from being used in court. It was argued in the motion that the accused man was being forced to admit to authorities and his wife that he had a sexual relationship with the student.
On March 13, the teacher allegedly abducted a 15-year-old student from a school after months of contact. The man and the teenager were found about a month later in a secluded Northern California shelter. The former teacher was taken into custody while the teenager was returned to her family in Tennessee for treatment.
During the time the man and the teenager were gone, the man’s wife filed for divorce, and he was fired from his teaching position. The accused man was scheduled to go to trial in April 2018 in Tennessee. The motion filed in December may affect the trial date. It is not known if the teenager planned to testify in court against the accused man.
Allegations surrounding sex crimes are taken very seriously by the state. As a result, many of those who are facing these accusations are often assumed to be guilty by the authorities before the person has a chance to defend himself or herself. If a person is convicted on these types of crimes, he or she could face a jail sentence and be required to register as a sex offender, which could prevent him or her from being able to seek certain employment or housing. A criminal defense attorney may assist with protecting an accused person against false accusations or sexual assault charges by challenging the evidence and the investigation techniques.
