A former part-time substitute teacher who was accused of having sex with a 17-year-old student in a St. Paul charter school was handed her sentence on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
Caitlin Thao, 25, was originally charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct, but pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.
She was sentenced on Wednesday to 10 years of supervised release and 160 hours of community service. Additionally, Thao cannot have any contact with minors or vulnerable adults, or hold a position of power over them. Thao is also restricted from having contact with the victim.
Thao Messaged the Student on Social Media After Sharing a 'Non-Alcoholic Drink' Together
Court documents state police began investigating Thao last February after complaints were made about "inappropriate" behavior toward students.
In mid-March, the 17-year-old victim told police he had sex with Thao. He was a student in an English language learner class that Thao worked in, and the two had "shared a non-alcoholic drink" and "she may have messaged him on social media," according to documents.
Thao Invited the Student to Her Home for Sex When Her Husband was Away
The victim said the sexual encounter happened inside an empty middle school classroom in February, and that Thao later invited him to her residence for more sex when her husband was away, which the victim turned down.
The criminal complaint states Thao's husband discovered what had happened in early March and contacted the victim's mom. The next day, Thao allegedly admitted the sexual encounter to a Regions Hospital social worker.
