The Abigail Simon , Catholic school teacher sex molestation case will be featured on an episode of Dateline NBC . Tonight’s episode will profile the case of the 35-year old teacher-tutor who was arrested in 2013 for having sex with a boy at a school in Michigan. Simon was arrested in 2013 after the boy’s mother found photos and texts from a woman named “Miss Abby” on his cellphone.
Sources say people told her about the rumors, but she quickly dismissed them. Looking back, she stated that she remembered several questionable behaviors that should have warned her.
People close to the case say that the boy was devastated when he found out that his mother had “gotten Missy Abby in trouble.” He ran away from home and wanted nothing to do with his mother in the beginning. People also say that the 16-year old boy (who was 15 when the relationship first began) was in love with the teacher-tutor and was the one who pursued her.
The prosecution believed that Abigail Simon knew exactly what she was doing and was obsessed with wanting sex with an “innocent virgin.”
The defense stated in court that the victim’s family had a series of problems which included alcoholic parents and problematic siblings—one of which reportedly committed suicide around the same time that the relationship between the boy and the Catholic teacher developed. The family has always asserted that the statements made in court were untrue.
The police investigation revealed that the two had exchanged hundreds of explicit emails and photos. Several photos included Catholic school teacher, tutor Abigail Simon wearing sexy lingerie and a garter belt. The sex escapades happened at her apartment in the 300 block of Bridge Street NW in Grand Rapids, according to Mlive .
The Abigail Simon sex case gained national attention because she was offered a plea deal that would have allowed her to spend just a few short months behind bars, instead she was convicted and sentenced to 8-25 years in prison. Her shocked and devastated family cried in court as she was sentenced.
The disgraced Catholic teacher begged the judge to show mercy and understanding for her situation. Simon, who often wept in court, stated the following to the Kent County judge, according to Daily Mail .
“I’m asking you to take a chance on me. I’m lost and I’m broken,” she said expressing that she was tired and that she wanted to go home. “I was overtaken by fear, scared and lost, felt like I was drowning. I’m sorry I was not strong enough to get away from him.”
Many say schools are not doing enough to make sure that the teachers and tutors are safe for students. More in-depth background and records checks should be done to make sure there are no prior records. But more than that, parents should talk to their kids about how a teacher or an adult may approach them. This is where the gap lies. Children and teens need to be ready and know what to expect, so that they will recognize the behavior as deviant and report the incident—or to at least, stand their ground against a teacher, preacher, or any other adult who may try to molest them.
Teen boys should be made aware that sex with a teacher doesn’t make them cool. It is a violation of the law and it shows the true nature of the person. Schools can do their part by addressing this national issue in assembly programs so that students are constantly on guard. Tornado drills and school gunman drills are great, but some drills should include what to do when a teacher or tutor approaches them for sex.
Tune in to Dateline NBC tonight. Here is the tease.
“When a 33-year-old Catholic high school tutor in Grand Rapids, Michigan is charged with having an illegal relationship with a 15-year-old student, her stunning defense leads to an emotional courtroom battle.”
Watch Abigail Simon as she collapses in court.
[Photo Credit: Facebook and YouTube ]