Former Idaho Teacher Sentenced for S*xual Battery and R*pe of Minor
A former Idaho schoolteacher has been sentenced to prison for sexual battery and r*pe of a minor, who had been adopted from the foster care system just days before the assault.
Jessica Lawson, 36, accepted a plea deal for felony s*xual battery and felony rape charges. Initially facing additional charges for delivering a controlled substance and illegally providing alcohol to a m!nor, those charges were dropped as part of the agreement.
Lawson, who taught at South Fremont High School from August 2021 to June 2023, will serve a prison term ranging from two to 20 years. She is also required to register as a s*x offender and attend treatment, with a 20-year no-contact order placed against the victim.
On November 6, 2023, an officer from the Saint Anthony Police Department pulled Lawson over for driving a vehicle with no visible taillights. The officer found the 16-year-old boy behind the wheel, having been handed the keys by Lawson, who was reportedly too intoxicated to drive.
The boy admitted to using mar!juana supplied by Lawson and was subsequently driven home by the officer. Lawson was arrested later that week after the boy confided in his adoptive parents about the events of that night, detailing how they had consumed alcohol and engaged in s*xual acts.
Lawson contacted the boy’s parents, admitting to providing alcohol and picking him up but denying any s*xual misconduct or substance use. The teen’s parents, who had adopted him just days prior to the assault, expressed concern about the long-term impact of Lawson’s actions.
“It takes a village to raise a young man, especially one who has been in and out of foster care and never experienced having a mom and dad,” the father stated in court. He emphasized the lasting effects of the trauma, noting that his son may not fully grasp the implications of the violation until he becomes a parent himself.
The boy’s mother shared that he struggles to identify safe versus unsafe situations due to his past experiences in foster care. “We brought him in because he needed someone. We quickly realized he is a wonderful kid who belongs in our family,” she said, highlighting the challenges he faces in recognizing safe people.
The victim’s parents voiced their belief that Lawson would have received a harsher sentence if the roles were reversed, with the judge, Senior District Judge Stephen Dunn, refuting this claim during sentencing.