Washington County Teacher Found Guilty

Washington County Charlene Schmitz A jury reaches a verdict after a middle school teacher is accused of having sex with a student.

by Diana Lucio

Published: Thu, February 14, 2008 - 9:15 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, February 14, 2008 - 10:57 pm CST

A Federal jury found 54-year-old Charlene Schmitz guilty on two counts of using a computer to entice a child today (Thursday).

The jury came to a unanimous decision in two hours. "You have to respect the jury verdicts at anytime, but anytime you don't prevail it's disappointing, "said Schmitz' attorney Donald Briskman."We think that this verdict is one step in making parent's feel safe to bring their children to school. And we believe it will bring a measure of justice and a measure of healing to a little boy and his family, "Said Maria Murphy, one of the attornies for the teenage boy.

Schmitz who is an English teacher at Leroy Middle School in Washington County was arrested last June after the mother of a 14-year-old boy gave police dozens of explicit e-mails she claimed Schmitz sent her son. Schmitz has been on paid administrative leave since her arrest.
Schmitz' 14-year-old daughter Tanya Thomas testified in the trial. She told the jury she posed as her mother and sent the messages to the teenage boy herself. "She testified truthfully to what her role was and unfortunately the jury did not accept it, "Said Briskman.
"You had to decide whether, the mother did it or the child did it and I think the jury's verdict answers that question, "Said Murphy.

Charlene Schmitz is scheduled to be sentenced in Federal Court May 8th at ten o'clock in the morning. The U.S. Attorney's office says Schmitz faces ten years to life in prison.

WKRG.com » News Stream » Local