May 29, 2009 7:44 pm US/Eastern
Accused Classroom Sex Teacher Faces Judge
Melissa Weber Unable To Make $100,000 Bail, Accused Of Statuatory Rape Of 14-Year-Old Male Student
WEST BABYLON, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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Her head hung low, Melissa Weber was ushered away in cuffs, no doubt thinking about the probable end to her teaching career and whether her alleged sexual rendezvous with her 14-year-old student had been worth it.
CBS
A Queens teacher accused in a school sex scandal has been ordered to stay away from one of her students, a 14-year-old boy. The 27-year-old was in court Friday to face charges of statutory rape.
The NYPD joined school safety officers in keeping a watchful eye outside the queens middle school directly below the second story classroom where prosecutors say social studies teacher Melissa Weber had sex after school on seven separate occasions since mid-April with her 14-year-old male student.
"I don't know what she was thinking," one student said, shaking her head.
On Friday, Weber nervously faced a judge. Her distraught and emotional relative, "Lisa," rushed to court for support.
"Could you please leave our family alone?" the relative asked. "This is very difficult … No comment."
Weber's defense attorney, provided by the teacher's union, said the teacher had no prior arrests, lived in a well kept basement apartment of a West Babylon home, had roots in the community and that the statutory rape was consensual.
"She's never had any problems before," attorney Donald Vogelman said. "She's never been disciplined. She's been a good teacher."
But Queens District Attorney Richard Brown told CBS 2 HD the accused teacher had logged hundreds of luring text messages and calls with the child at all hours of the day and night pre-pro, with the last one reading "erase your phone."
Brown also quoted from another text confiscated from the student-victim's cell.
"The teacher told the youngster, 'Don't tell anyone. I could get arrested and I could lose my teaching license,'" Brown said.
On Friday, Weber's students and their parents reacted.
"Right now I'm just still stunned by the whole situation," one mother said.
"Things do happen. People make mistakes," a father added.
Weber had a Facebook page and apparently knew an arrest was imminent. Shortly before being carted off to jail she wrote "Melissa Weber is feeling very sick!!!"
So far, Weber has been unable to make the $100,000 bail, and no doubt has plenty of time in jail to think about the probable end to her teaching career.
If she's convicted, Weber will face seven years in prison, the loss of her teaching license and possible lifetime probation as a registered sex offender.
She is due back in court June 15.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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