A Missouri math teacher who admitted to having rough sex with a 16-year-old student while others acted as her "lookouts" could only have to serve three months in prison if she goes through sex rehab.
Divorced mom-of-two Hailey Clifton-Carmack, 26, was given a four-year jail term on Friday, with the possibility of a suspension if she successfully completes a program for sex offenders, according to KJLU. Circuit Judge John Beger promised to follow up with her in three months to assess her progress in rehab, and if all goes well, to release the embattled teacher on probation, the outlet reported. Clifton-Carmack was fired after she was exposed earlier this year.
Might Get a Lighter Sentence
The plea agreement was reached in September when Clifton-Carmack admitted to sexual contact with a student, enabling her to evade more serious original charges such as statutory rape, child molestation, and child endangerment.
The Laquey High School math teacher was arrested in January after a student informed a school resource officer about their illegal relationship.
The witness provided police with a photo of the victim's scratched back, which Clifton-Carmack reportedly injured during their sexual encounter in the witness's driveway.
The witness told police that Clifton-Carmack had previously faced scrutiny from school officials for becoming too familiar with students.
When detectives interviewed her in December 2023, she initially denied the illegal relationship and traveled to Texas for the holidays, telling her roommates she wouldn't return, according to the report.
Caught While Trying to Evade Arrest
She was arrested in Texas in January and charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, second-degree statutory rape, sexual contact with a student, and fourth-degree child molestation.
After another witness informed police that the boy's father, Mark Creighton, knew about the sexual contact but chose not to report it, the father was also taken into custody on charges of endangering the welfare of a child.
According to court records, the father was aware that his son and his teacher used the kids as "lookouts," especially when they had intercourse in class.
Creighton "knew of the relationship of his minor child and the 26-year-old teacher, and instead of reporting the information, he continued to cover for them and allowed the relationship to continue" and "even allowed Hailey to come over to his residence and see the victim while he was present," prosecutors said.
He also allegedly told a witness that he would fabricate a story for his son if necessary.
