A convicted sex offender and former Howard County middle school teacher buried her face in her hands.

“I know my life is changed forever,” said Kirsten Kinley, 28, who received an 18-month sentence at the Howard County Detention Center from Howard Circuit Judge Diane Leasure.

“Unfortunately there were a lot of very bad decisions made … that resulted in dire consequences for the victim,” Leasure said Thursday, referring to Kinley’s sexual abuse of a 15-year-old boy.

Kinley’s lawyer, Thomas Morrow, asked for probation, saying Kinley is not a danger to society and has undisclosed medical issues that would be difficult to treat in jail.

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“She could benefit society with her talents, obviously not as a teacher … but it would be a terrible waste to lock her away,” Morrow said.

He also asked that Kinley be allowed access to the Internet for employment and financial purposes, because she has a potential job opportunity with a nonprofit in which she would provide job training to convicted criminals trying to re-enter society.

“I just want the opportunity to move on and be a productive citizen,” Kinley said.

Kinley pleaded guilty in August to one count of a third-degree sex offense in an agreement with prosecutors that she:

» Register as a sex offender;

» Have only supervised contact with minors;

» Undergo sex offender treatment.

She is also prohibited from using the Internet without the court’s approval, because she had sexually explicit conversations with the victim on the Internet and e-mailed him nude photographs of herself, according to court records.

Leasure on Thursday ordered a work-release investigation but held that all Internet access must be approved by the court. Kinley also must consent to random computer checks by a probation officer. Kinley originally was charged with two counts of third-degree sex offense, two counts of fourth-degree sex offense and two counts of solicitation of a minor.

She was arrested in February after the 15-year-old victim told his therapist about their December 2004 sexual relationship while Kinley was teaching at Hammond Middle School. The therapist notified authorities.

A case involving a second boy was dismissed when he didn’t cooperate with prosecutors.

cpeirce@baltimoreexaminer.com