CHANGE MY LOCATION
Former teacher pleads guilty to sex offense with one boy
SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY
Related Topics: Ellicott City
Ellicott City (Map, News) - A former Howard County teacher pleaded guilty Tuesday to having sex with one teenager, but charges involving a second alleged victim were dropped when he didn’t cooperate with prosecutors.
Kirsten Kinley, 28, a former special education teacher at Marriotts Ridge High School in Marriottsville, entered into a plea agreement before Howard Circuit Judge Diane Leasure.
As part of the agreement, Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Murphy is requesting at least 18 months in prison for a 10-year maximum sentence, a psychosexual evaluation, sex offender treatment, no unsupervised contact with minors and restricted access to the Internet with possible unannounced investigations into Kinley’s usage.
“Not to excuse it ... but prison time should be reserved for persons who are a danger to society,” said Thomas Morrow, Kinley’s lawyer.
“She is not a dangerous person.”
Because Kinley pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree sex offense involving the 15-year-old boy, she would have to register as a sex offender for life if convicted.
She 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 in Laurel. The therapist notified authorities.
Kinley was indicted on three counts of third-degree sex offense involving a second boy who came forward in May, but the case was dismissed, Murphy said.
Both victims had sexually explicit conversations with Kinley on the Internet, were e-mailed nude photographs of Kinley and had two sexual encounters at her Columbia apartment, according to court records.
cpeirce@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
1:02 PM MST on Fri., Mar. 21, 2008 re: "Victim of sex offense sues ex-teacher, Howard school board"
Report as inappropriate
11:06 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 17, 2008
re: "Victim of sex offense sues ex-teacher, Howard school board"
Report as inappropriate
9:12 AM MST on Sat., Mar. 15, 2008
re: "Victim of sex offense sues ex-teacher, Howard school board"
Report as inappropriate
1:03 AM MST on Sat., Mar. 15, 2008
re: "Victim of sex offense sues ex-teacher, Howard school board"
Report as inappropriate
5:31 PM MST on Sat., Nov. 17, 2007
re: "Former teacher gets 18 months for abusing teen"
Report as inappropriate
Mike said:
This story is inaccurate because the victim lives in the Laurel/Scaggsville area and attends Reservoir High. When reporters decide to be inaccurate, you wonder if the rest of the story is factual.
2 agree | 3 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
A more frightening thought is if either Kirsten Kinley or Joseph Ellis where products of the Howard County Public School System. Where is the moral compass in Howard County Schools?
2 agree | 2 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Wouldn't this make this kid a prostitute? He would be paid for having sex!!!
4 agree | 3 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
johnn said:
the readers of this comment may not like what im about to say,but when i was 15yr i wish my teachers had turned me on to sex,it would not have messed me up,and i would have been smiling all through school..im sure there are other 15 yr old boys in school who agree,of course im speaking form a male to women point of view,i dont think i would feel the same way if a guy was the one making the advances,i would be in jail for assault
5 agree | 5 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
I would suggest that to prevent Ms. Kirsten Kinley from further harming any other young children in the future that she be castrated. Frankly, castration should be done on all convicted sex offenders with no exception. It is the only way we are going to stop these horrible crimes of rapes and other sex offensives. The same people who object to the death penalty will, of course, object to castration; but we must put a halt to these horrible crimes, and castration will do it.
55 agree | 45 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree