In 2007, Jennifer Leigh Rice was 31 and worked as a teacher at the McKinley Elementary School in Tacoma, WA. She was attentive to all her students, but a certain 10-year old student was especially interesting to her. She visited his house and then in July his exasperated father asked her to not visit the house any more. Yet on August 11, 2007, she took the boy from his home to a place more than 100 miles away and then had sex with him in a rest area on the highway. She later confessed that she had had sex with him four or five more times and even admitted to the fact that she had sneaked into his house to have sex with him even when his parents were sleeping in their bedroom. She also had sex with his then 15 year old brother in July 2007.

Recently Judge D. Gary Steiner convicted Rice, now 33, of first degree kidnapping with sexual intention, first degree child molestation and two counts of third degree child rape. She may face up to 25 years in prison and has been remanded to custody till her June 5th sentencing.

This is the latest in the recent spate of sexual relationships between teachers and students. One of the first among these scandals that received much hype was the case of Mary Kay Letourneau who had established sexual relationship with her 12 year old student Vili Fualaau and bore him two children. She was convicted of statutory rape and went to jail to serve her sentence. When she was released Vili asked for the no-contact order to be lifted and then went on to marry her.