Charges for two Louisiana teachers in student sex case

GRETNA, La. -- Two former Louisiana high school teachers accused in a sex case involving a 16-year-old male student have been formally charged.

The Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office charged 33-year-old Shelley Dufresne on Monday with two counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile -- also known as statutory rape -- while 25-year-old Rachel Respess faces one count of failure to report the commission of certain felonies, The Advocate reports.

The two female teachers were arrested in 2014 after being accused of inviting the teen to one of their apartments for a sexual encounter

The charges against Dufresne carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and a $5,000 fine, while Respess' charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a $500 fine.

Respess' attorney, Jeffery Smith, said Monday that Respess will plead not guilty. Smith had said Respess was intoxicated in her home when Dufresne and the teenager showed up. He added that Respess "never entered into consensual sex with this young man."

Earlier this year, Dufresne agreed to a plea deal that will allow her to avoid prison time in St. Charles Parish or having to register as a sex offender.