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.

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“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