Christine Taylor, a 46-year-old former Naperville teacher, has avoided a prison time by accepting a plea deal.
Taylor was set to stand trial on three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a 16-year-old boy. Instead, she pleaded guilty to one felony count of obstructing justice and one misdemeanor count of endangering the well-being of a child.
After accepting the plea, Judge Liam Brennan imposed a sentence of time served for the 12 days Taylor spent in jail after her arrest, two years of probation, 10 days in the Sheriff’s Work Alternative Program and sex offender counseling. She also is banned from having contact with the now 18-year-old victim and his mother.
via Chicago Tribune:
Taylor, who taught language arts and social studies at Jefferson Junior High School, was charged on New Year’s Day 2016. Authorities say Taylor invited a friend and the friend’s 16-year-old son to her Naperville apartment for pizza, and that later Taylor brought the teen into her bedroom and performed a sex act.
The teen’s mother found the two while the incident was in progress and called police, authorities said. The felony obstruction charge centered on Taylor’s assertions to police that the boy was the one who abused her, and not the opposite, Assistant State’s Attorney Thomas Minser said.
Judge Liam Brennan sentenced Taylor to two years of probation and ordered her to serve 10 days with the county sheriff’s work alternative program. She had served 12 days in the DuPage County jail in 2016 before posting bond. She was also ordered to undergo sex offender counseling and whatever other counseling deemed appropriate by the probation department. Taylor was also barred from any contact with the victim or his mother.
“The victim and his family were consulted and this was the sentence they wanted and recommended,” Taylor’s attorney, Rick Kayne, said after the hearing.
After her arrest, Taylor was suspended from her teaching job and resigned shortly after. According to court records, the mother of the boy sued Taylor and that case was settled last week, with Taylor agreeing to pay $35,000.
