Parole official recommends Pamela Rogers stay jailed

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A parole official is opposing release for a former teacher with six years left on her prison sentence for having sex with a 13-year-old male student in Warren County.

Video: Pamela Rogers Pleads For Second Chance

Convicted sex offender Pamela Rogers got her first shot at parole at a hearing on Wednesday. She has been an inmate at a Nashville women’s prison since 2006.

Prosecutors objected to the parole. Rogers' father spoke on her behalf.Rogers, 30, is serving a 10-year sentence for having sex with a 13-year-old boy while she was a teacher at Centertown Elementary School in Warren County.

Rogers was first arrested in February 2005 and pleaded no contest to charges of having sexual intercourse and oral sex with the student. She served six months in jail and got a lengthy probation on those charges under the condition that she not contact the student or his family or use the Internet.

However, she soon sent the boy text messages and what the judge described as "lewd" videos and pictures of herself nude and engaged in sex.

The judge decided that broke the terms of her probation and ordered Rogers to serve the rest of her suspended sentence in prison.

On Wednesday, she said her time in prison has allowed her to undergo rehab. She claimed that she's been a model prisoner and is ready to begin a new life with her family.

Rogers said the reason she messed up her second chance was because of the lack of help she was getting in the Warren County Jail.

“There was no counseling, no type of treatment for me to recognize that everything I was feeling and thought was distorted,” she said. “Just had a horrible lapse in judgment. I made a terrible mistake. … Everything that happened, I know that I made the choices that I made, and I know it was my fault.”

Rogers' attorney, Peter Strianse of Nashville, said previously that she violated the court order because she had become obsessed with the boy. A clinical psychologist hired by Rogers' family testified at a court hearing that Rogers should be treated for "sexual addiction."

The hearing officer's nonbinding recommendation against parole before 2014 goes to the board for a final decision, likely in the next few weeks, board spokeswoman Melissa McDonald said.

Continued at WSMV. More info here and also here.

Note from Gag:
One thing's for certain, the poor girl is obviously suffering from lack of bleach blond hair dye.

Instructor accused of assaulting girl is suspended with pay

By Andrea Eilenberger

LOPATCONG TWP. | A seventh-grade social studies teacher charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl was suspended from her job with pay.

Keri Ann Brekne's suspension is retroactive to Jan. 23 and is pending further investigation, the township school board's resolution states.

Prior to the vote, Superintendent Michael Rossi said the Brekne situation has been a difficult time for both the district and administration. He said the district has discussed the matter with police to best determine what it can publicly say on the matter.

Board attorney Mark Toscano said he could not say whether the victim was a student.

"The board and the administrators have done everything that they can to protect the students while at the same time respecting the requests of the various law enforcement agencies involved," Toscano said. "As we are able to discuss more information and come into more information, the board will make it available in a timely matter."

Brekne was arrested Jan. 23 and at the time board member Ernie Gallant said Brekne was not actively teaching. Her salary is $46,012.

Brekne, 28, of Bethlehem, is facing sexual assault charges in Northampton County and Warren County. The alleged abuse in New Jersey occurred between June 1 and Sept. 30, records show. The alleged abuse began when the girl was 14 years old.

Pennsylvania court records show the girl told police Brekne drove her from her Warren County home to Brekne's Bethlehem home, where she was allegedly abused, between July 1 and September.

Board members also rescinded their appointment of Brekne as 2007-08 student council and ski club adviser. The board appointed Scott Yerger as the 2008 ski club adviser.

The Express-Times

Note from Gag:
I think everybody should know that I've always supported Scott Yerger as the 2008 ski club adviser. In fact, I dare say this whole Brekne scandal could have been avoided if Berger had the job in the first place. I knew Brekne would let this ski club position go to her head and start molesting little girls.