Teacher Who Had Sex With Teen Arrested

Former Middle School Teacher Who Had Sex With 14-Year-Old Charged With Violating Probation

(CBS/AP)  A former teacher serving house arrest for having sex with a 14-year-old student was arrested on charges of violating her probation, state records show.

According to a Department of Corrections report, Debra Lafave discussed her personal life and other subjects with a teenage waitress at a restaurant where both worked. One of the terms of her probation was that she was not allowed to have unsupervised contact with minors without permission.

An affidavit alleges Lafave talked about "family problems, friends, high school, personal life, boyfriend issues and sexual issues ... in private one-on-one conversations ... and group settings," reports CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann.

Lafave, 26, is serving three years of house arrest and seven years of probation after pleading guilty to having sex with the boy in a classroom and her home in June 2004.

She was arrested Tuesday morning and released from jail on her promise to appear in court. It was not immediately clear when that hearing would occur.

Defense attorney John Fitzgibbons said he was disappointed that Lafave's probation officer ordered her arrest for what he called an "insignificant" violation. He said Lafave and the 17-year-old girl had a "typical workplace conversation that women have with their women colleagues."

"It was a workplace friendship - no more, no less," he said.

State attorney's office spokeswoman Pam Bondi said prosecutors would not comment on Lafave's arrest until the hearing.

Probation records show Lafave worked at a Tampa-area restaurant until last month, when her probation officer ordered her to quit. She now works as a receptionist at her mother's barbershop.

Lafave's former restaurant manager Dennis Cutini called her a model employee.

"She was outstanding. She took care of the customers for us. It's a big loss."

Fitzgibbons said he and his client were surprised by the arrest. "I don't think anyone felt this was a huge issue," he said.

He said Lafave has done so well on her first two years of house arrest that he plans to ask a judge to convert the final year to straight probation, which is less restrictive.

Other terms of her probation include sex offender treatment, random drug testing and 200 hours of community service, which she has completed.

Lafave pleaded guilty to two counts of lewd and lascivious battery in November 2005. She could face up to 15 years in prison for a probation violation.

"This is serious but in my opinion a gross overreaction to what had been a serious problem," CBS News legal analyst Mickey Sherman told The Early Show. "When someone pleads guilty to a sex offense these days, besides being labeled a sex offender, there are an enormous amount of limitations."

"The probation officer let her work at this restaurant," says Sherman. "Who did they think she was going to be encountering?"

CBS News legal analyst Lisa Bloom disagrees.

"The way probation works is 'we're giving you a pass, but you've got to keep your nose clean and comply with every aspect of the probation order or you're going right to jail,'" Bloom told The Early Show. "She had conversations about sex with a minor child under the eyes of the law."

[tth2thh]

She should have known better than to speak to a minor about anything. If I was in her shoes and trying to start over, I would avoid minors like the plague. It is a little crazy that they got her on violation of probation for speaking to a co-worker. (State of Florida is serious on child preditors nowadays.)

[alin_asghari]

that is so nice , if i had teacher as like as she , i study for ever and i acheive max degree in the world.

[incog-nito]

People miss the point. The issue here is not what she did with the boy. She got her sentence of probation, whether you agree with it or not. She''s also no longer teaching. That''s done and over with, understand?

The issue is whether she violated probation. I think the police are way overzealous on this. So what if she talked with a 17 year old coworker at her workplace? First, she needs to make a living somehow, and according the restaurant owner she was a model employee. Second, of course she needs to interact with co-workers. Police needs to use more common sense and look at it on a case-by-case basis, rather than continue to needlessly harass and punish somebody who was just trying to turn their life around. Aren''t there any murderers or violent criminals they can go after?

[dtjb21]

Teachers are held to a higher standard than regular people. Get these degenerates out of this proffesionand,and mke room for actually good teachers. People who take advantage of minors should be locked up. She diserves the highest sentance she can possibly get. Set an president with someone and this will not happen as much.

[kaydon9]

MY 38YR OLD WIFE WHO LOOKS LIKE 18 IS MUCH MORE ATTRACTIVE, GORGEOUS AND BEAUTIFUL THAN DEBRA. 20YRS OF MARRIAGE UNDER OUR WINGS. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I MUST SAY MISS LAFAVE IS NOT THAT BAD.

[rfc24]

I don''t believe she is getting a fair deal, in this case. Her parole officer let her take the job. She quit as soon as that person told her too. Was her offence with a male minor or with a female minor? It DOES make a difference!! The court imposed a sentence and then provided a court officer to suppervise her. Are they (Court System) going to decide 2 years later that they did not do it right.

[augustus131]

Nope. I meant Superchez;..sorry

[element51]

I forgot to mention that that was the best tutorial I ever had. But in all seriousness what she did was wrong and she should be held to the same standard as a male teacher or an unattractive female teacher. She''s sliding by on her looks and that just isn''t right. This is a good example of how screwed up the justice system is.

[cdmeeks1]

ANYONE OLD ENOUGH TO BE A TEACHER SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO HAVE *** WITH A TEENAGER. THEY SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT THE BOY WILL TELL ALL HIS FRIENDS AND IT MAKES HIM LOOK BIG. THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW IT''S ALL OVER THE NEWS AND THE WOMAN IS ARRESTED. I THINK IN A CASE LIKE THAT THE TEEN SHOULD GET SOME JAIL TIM AFTER ALL HE KNEW IT WAS WRONG.

[element51]

Maybe it would be a good idea to make this woman a s*x education teacher. Problem there is that all the male teachers would want to take her class. I''m sure I would. When I was a kid she was the kind that I fantasized about in my "private moments". That''s the thing I don''t understand. With her looks she could have had any man she wanted..why didn''t she at least go for an 18 year old. Finally, I would like to know who blew the whistle. When I was 16 I became intimate with a 26 year old woman. To this day I have never told anyone who she was and that was over 40 years ago. Some things are best left unsaid.