32-year-old Jamee Hiatt, a former Leslie Public Schools elementary teacher, has been sentenced to prison for having a long-standing sexual relationship with a 14-year-old middle school student. Leslie is a small community in Jackson County, Michigan.
Court records show that Hiatt, who was previously employed at the Leslie Middle School, was arrested on January 22, 2016, by Jackson Police. She was arraigned in the Jackson County District Court on two counts of criminal sexual conduct. She is charged with one count of First Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, and one count of Third Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct with a person older than 13, but younger than 16.
According to Jackson Police Lt. Christopher Simpson, Hiatt admitted to police that she had sex with the boy on five separate occasions. However, this admission conflicted with what the teen told police during his interview. The boy allegedly told police that the sexual encounters they shared took place every other day.
During the trial, Jackson County Police Detective Gary Schuette said in his testimony that the boy had claimed that his sexual encounters with Hiatt happened “so many times that he couldn’t begin to tell how many times that there were.” Some of these encounters are also alleged to have happened at Hiatt’s home in Grass Lake which is also in Jackson County, Michigan.
The prosecutor also claims that Hiatt attempted to gain custody of the boy by calling CPS and reporting the boy’s parents. She is also said to have offered him money, a cellphone and even guardianship in order to maintain the relationship. In addition, Hiatt is said to have given the boy a gun that was later linked to a shooting that took place in Jackson, Michigan.
Hiatt said she was very sorry for what she had done.
At the sentencing, Hiatt apologised to the judge, saying that she understood that what she had done was “inexcusable.” She also admitted to using her position as a teacher to manipulate and control the boy. “I became out of control, went to a dark place and I changed his life forever,” she admitted.
Hiatt appeared before Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wilson, who sentenced her to 3 to 20 years in prison. She must also submit to a lifetime of electronic monitoring after her release. In addition, she will be required to register as a sex offender in Michigan, which will make it difficult for her to find a decent job after her release.
Under Michigan law, First Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct is a felony punishable by up to life in prison. Third Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, while also a felony, is punishable by up to 15 years. Both crimes refer to sexual contact that include penetration of the alleged victim.
Sex crimes are taken very seriously by police and prosecutors in Michigan, and those involving minors are considered to be particularly reprehensible. If you or a loved one have been accused of a sex crime, whether or not there is a minor involved, you are going to need an experienced defense attorney who has decades of success defending those accused of sex crimes.
The sex assault defense attorneys at the Kronzek Firm have decades of experience fighting for the rights of those accused of sex crimes in Michigan. We know exactly how these cases are prosecuted and have successfully helped numerous people get their lives back. We can help you too! Call us at 866 766 5245 immediately. An attorney is standing by 24/7 to take your call and help you develop a strategic defense.