A special education teacher who last taught in Vista, pregnant by one of her former male special needs students, will reportedly give birth to the child this spring, according to a 10News report.
During a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, prosecutors say that 34-year-old Kelly McKenzy Watson, who had a sexual relationship with the male, will be reevaluated after giving birth to the child.
A judge ordered Watson not be sent to jail at this time, though Watson did receive a one-year sentence. She was placed on three years felony probation, during which she is not permitted to work with minors, and was ordered to undergo counseling. After the baby is born, Watson could find herself in jail or on probation.
In a bit of a shocking turn from the judge, Watson will not be required to register as a sex offender, though she has been ordered to not have any direct contact with the male for five years. Any contact pertaining to the pregnancy and child will be via a third party.
Watson's defense attorney indicated that the sentence handed out was "fair" and informed the court that Watson and the teen are "happy about the baby."
Watson, who was taken into custody last August on suspicion of sexually assaulting the boy, a young man she met when he was a student in her class at the New Haven residential school in Vista, has been characterized as naive and immature. She has reportedly been living with family recently in the Bakersfield area.
So, if it had been a male teacher and a female student involved in a sexual relationship, would the sentencing outcome have been different?
Comments