Friday, March 21, 2008

Kelly Sweet: Another Teacher Behaving Badly?

UPDATE, May 5, 2009: Family Files Suit Against School District, Teacher
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UPDATE, August 26, 2008: Former teacher sentenced in sex case

Former St. Francis math teacher Kelly Marie Sweet pleaded guilty today to having sexual contact with a 14-year-old student. She was sentenced to serve 25 days in jail and placed on two years of probation.

Sweet, 27, has also permanently relinquished her Wisconsin teaching license. She was ordered to register as a sex offender for the duration of her probation.

"You were in position to protect and guide, to keep your students safe," Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Patricia McMahon told Sweet. "Not assault them."

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From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Kelly M. Sweet, 26, of Milwaukee is charged with one count of second-degree sexual assault of a child, a felony.

Sweet was an eighth-grade teacher at Deer Creek Intermediate School, according to the school's Web site.

According to a criminal complaint, the boy was sitting on a sofa watching a movie at Sweet's apartment March 9 while Sweet, who was lying on the sofa, rested her head on his lap. She began kissing him and initiated sexual contact, the complaint says.

The boy told investigators that he knew Sweet, but it was not clear from the complaint whether he was her student.

According to WISN:
Kelly Sweet, 26, taught eighth-grade math for the past four years at Deer Creek and was the girls' volleyball coach.

The 14-year-old student told Milwaukee police that he and Sweet had sexual contact earlier this month in her downtown Milwaukee apartment while watching movies on her couch.

She has been suspended by the school district and has been ordered not to have contact with the boy while she is free on bail.

The boy told investigators that "he knew Sweet."

Well, that makes sense. The boy says he was in Sweet's downtown apartment watching movies on her couch. Usually when that's happening, there's at least a degree of familiarity.


If what the boy says actually did occur, Sweet will join a rather lengthy list of disgraced teachers and coaches from southeast Wisconsin.

I wouldn't call it an epidemic, but there does seem to be a relatively large outbreak of teachers and coaches becoming involved with their students. For each case that surfaces, I wonder how many others go unreported.

In any event, it's creepy.

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Read the Criminal complaint.

34 comments:

Jimi5150 said...

It's beyond creepy. It's sick. These are the people we entrust our children to. There's enough to be concerned about with kids growing older and finding things out on their own without having to worry about ADULTS taking advantage of a child's naivete. It's close to epidemic. Seems like we're reading about this every week or so.

Are these teachers that pathetic, that lacking of adult interests in their lives, that deranged that they have to turn to young teens for their sexual pleasure?

This is sexual predator stuff. She shouldn't be allowed to teach.

Anonymous said...

I agree that adults taking advantage of children is sick. But I also must remind Jimi that people are innocent until proven guilty, and with the speed that media jumps on stories these days and the way someone's name is plastered all over before they've had a trial (everyone wants the story first), people in our society are assuming guilt before a proper trial has occurred. I for one, will refrain from passing judgement until the truth is found. Sensitive cases like these are sometimes found to be false accusations. In the meantime I will pray for both the child and the teacher involved in the charges and their families.

Anonymous said...

Hahaha, she was my teacher a few years ago.

Mary said...

Sweet will have her day in court.

She wouldn't have been charged if police had no evidence. On the other hand, her lawyer wouldn't have advised her to plead not guilty if the case against her was solid.

In any event, if she is found not guilty of the sexual assault charge, I hope she's learned that having a 14-year-old at her apartment to watch a movie is not a good idea.

With so many cases of teachers having sexual contact with students, you'd think teachers would be doing all they could to protect themselves from being vulnerable to false accusations.

Anonymous said...

Would hit it!

Anonymous said...

"She wouldn't have been charged if police had no evidence."

You can't be serious. As if the police would ever let lack of evidence get in the way of charges.

"It's close to epidemic."

Is it? Or are we just hearing about it more? Better communication, more transparency, faster and broader media and news reporting. Maybe it happens less often now than it did in the past.

"I will pray for both the child and the teacher"

So... you don't plan on doing anything? What an empty sentiment. Maybe you could send a letter of support to the family and the accused and TELL them you're praying for them. I would imagine that would have more impact although still an impotent gesture.

Anonymous said...

That's effin' Sweet!

Anonymous said...

I'm almost 30-years old and I can't even get a date, yet these women are happily seducing young boys. I missed my chance and these 14-year olds have more game than I do. Very sad. I knew I never should have been a book worm in high school and college.

Daveism said...

jimi5150: Are you seriously creeped out by this "epidemic"? You do realize that the VAST (somewhere north of 90%) of abuse is committed by a close family member, right? Where's your moral outrage at these 'pathetic, deranged, creepy and sick' family members?

Pull your head out and take a breath before getting all up in a froth over a media-hyped event. Furthermore, actually denying that many of these post-puberty teens (especially the boys) have been 'victimized', especially when there isn't evidence of coercion is patently absurd. If you (or anyone else) can't see that, you have obvious repressed issues surrounding sexuality that should be best addressed in counseling.

Anonymous said...

You know, I had the exact same thing happen to me when I was 16, and I absolutely loved every minute of it! She was 24, and it was some of the best I've ever had! I used to laugh when all my teenage friends would get lucky and talk about getting lucky some weekend all the while I was thinking, "Gee, I got lucky six times today alone". Little did anybody know that I was very happy, very healthy and very sexually abused! I loved EVERY MINUTE and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! We did things that my wife would never imagine, and if I wouldn't have broken it off we would still be doing it like rabbits every day!

Anonymous said...

^^^^ My story was NOT about Kelly Sweet. My story happened in the 1980's.^^^^ Oh, and did I mention my first time was with my 24 year old girlfriend and her 23 year old girlfriend? It was absolutely amazing!

Driverman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Driverman said...

Hey. Where were these young female teachers when I went to school? Teachers I had were so old, Ab Lincoln had off for their birthdays.

Jimi5150 said...

"jimi5150: Are you seriously creeped out by this "epidemic"? You do realize that the VAST (somewhere north of 90%) of abuse is committed by a close family member, right? Where's your moral outrage at these 'pathetic, deranged, creepy and sick' family members?"

We're talking about one reported case here. I'm just as outraged when it happens else where and consider it sick.

"Pull your head out and take a breath before getting all up in a froth over a media-hyped event."

Media hyped? I'm glad you think so little about this.

"Furthermore, actually denying that many of these post-puberty teens (especially the boys) have been 'victimized', especially when there isn't evidence of coercion is patently absurd."

That makes it all the more twisted.

"If you (or anyone else) can't see that, you have obvious repressed issues surrounding sexuality that should be best addressed in counseling."

What an idiotic comment. Let's assume for a moment nothing happened between Ms Sweet and this kid. You see nothing wrong with that on its face? A 26 year old teacher hanging out with a 14 year old student? If you think that's OK, I'm not the one in need of counseling.

As Mary said, she'll have her day in court and we'll find out if this is any more or less serious than what's being "media hyped".

"Is it? Or are we just hearing about it more? Better communication, more transparency, faster and broader media and news reporting. Maybe it happens less often now than it did in the past."

How that diminishes what Ms Sweet is being charged with is beyond me.

Anonymous said...

I had her two years ago as my careers teacher (She taught 7th grade back then I believe). She was always kind of sexist against girls.
And now at the high school if anyone tries to even talk about it the teachers freak out and say the kid is lying.

Anonymous said...

What I would like to know is why this 14-year-old boy was ALONE, at his teachers apartment, watching movies???? What parent would allow that? I have a 13-year-old boy at home. If he ever asked me to do such a thing, I'd tell him to jump in the lake. She may have had a promising future, but that ended the moment that boy walked through her door.

Mary said...

Good questions, and I agree with your conclusions.

Anonymous said...

For all of you who say the child is lying, SHAME on you. Kelly was a trusted friend of the family...at least they thought she could be trusted anyway. And for all of you who say she is innocent, HELLO...she is pleasding guilty and being sentenced on August 26, 2008. Hopefully she does not get a slap on the wrist for pleading out. She is a disgusting pedophile and deserves some time in the SLAM!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

The trust of a child, and yes, he is a child, has been detroyed. A family is in turmoil.

Ms. Sweet isn't sweet and this young man probably isn't the first child she has sexually assaulted.

Anonymous said...

Kelly plead gulity to 4th degree sexual assault today. got a slap on the wrist sentence, but lost her teaching license and must file as a sex offender.

Mary said...

She did just get a slap on the wrist.

She only has to register as a sex offender for the duration of her probation.

Anonymous said...

Our court system has failed this family!!!! I am extremely disappointed. 25 days in jail with work release is a joke. I heard that her father is an attorney, what infuence did he have in this case? And only giving up her Wisconsin teaching license....what about other states? I hope they do good background checks.

Mary said...

I don't think a male teacher would have received the same sentence. No way.

Anonymous said...

She is a sick individual. The family had trust in her for the fact she would visit them, coached the boy's sisters in volley ball, and would take several kids out to dinner in the past. She taught this child it is ok to have sex with an uderage(18)child and receive a slap on the hand. 25 days with work release(working for her fathers law firm)2 years probation and registered sex offender during that time is a shame. If this were a male on female it would have come out differently for sure. She took advantage of this child when he broke his leg, she even munipulated him into lying to his parents about things they did. This kid was high honors in school and very trusting. If this was your child how would you feel with the out come? To all that were saying where were the parents, think of a friend of yours that you trust with your child and then you find out this happened. That is what went down. One other thing, the teacher was so trusting she had taken 2 male students to her parents upnorth cabin for a weekend, curious, wonder what she did with them?

Anonymous said...

Not to mention that she did this to another child in California. Daddy paid off that family and promised to move the family out of the state. that is how WI ended up with this sick piece of crap. Daddy should spend some time on jail as well. What a putz!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Who knows, maybe some big woman in the HOC will take advantage of Kelly...just like she did to the victim!!!

Anonymous said...

Why doesnt everyone here grow up and worry about your own lives. Unless you know these people and what truly happened, its not your business. It is really sad what our society has come down to with gossiping and false accusations. Im not taking anyones side here, but listen to yourselves. It sounds pathetic.

Anonymous said...

Well, I DO know the family and the pedophile and I DO know what happened. There were no fasle accusations...she assaulted him and got away with it becasue her daddy has money. He paid off a family in California and promised to move his faimly out of the state if they did not go to the police. She is a sick disgusting bitch who has gotten away with it again and will do it again. She can't help herself.

Anonymous said...

Uhh...Kelly went to high school in Wisconsin. They moved from California to here probably 15 years ago. Don't spread your shit.

Anonymous said...

Well I graduated from Watertown High School with Kelly Sweet on June 5, 1999... I'm not sure when she lived in CA though, I've never heard that before. Not that it matters anyway. But it's very true that her parents (well Daddy anyway) have money. None of this was ever mentioned in our local paper, The Watertown Daily Times. I only heard about it when I was watcing the news one night and I recognized the name. I had to pull out my senior yearbook to make sure it was her, it was.

All I can say is she's an adult, she should know better. WTF was she thinking?

Anonymous said...

I just read that she's now back in Watertown, a paralegal in Daddy's law firm. Geez.

I don't want to bring false accusations into this, but she's really a Daddy's girl from what I hear.

Anonymous said...

u know what im lindsey and i was in her 8th grade math of 2007 and she was an ahmazing teacher!!!

and dont u think that the boy! who was 14 not 4 had enough brains to say stop or know what was going on i know the boy i was in his grade and classes he liked her and flirted with ehr 24/7 he would skip class just to hangout in her room dosent it ever run across ur mind that he wanted this even more then she dose !!!



and she was suffering from a really bad breakup with a long term boyfriend
you people who knew her from college and shit done know anything
so shut your branging nasty ass mouths and suck it!!!


lindsey M 1:19 am december 22 2008!

Anonymous said...

Hey Lindsey! Perhaps you should have spent more time in English class...then you would know how to write the language. Kelly is an adult and should know better. Shame on you for thinking the child is to blame.

Anonymous said...

I graduated high school with Kelly. I always knew her as a sweet shy girl. I was shocked when I heard the news and also disappointed it was never talked about in the Watertown Daily Times. I had to Question Why wasnt it? If it was another former Watertown Resident would it be in the paper then. Regardless of what truely happened, any teacher knows you do not have your students in your apartment. Kelly crossed the line when she allowed this child in. Who knows what really happened once inside. Kellys sentence does not make any sence to me. In two years when kelly will no longer be on probation and no longer have to register as a sex offender, will she at the moment really no longer be an sex offender or will she be one for life