GRAND HAVEN — In a Grand Haven courtroom Monday, former West Ottawa Community Schools’ substitute teacher Jill Edstrom was sentenced to 18 months in a Michigan jail for the sexual assault of a high school student.
Edstrom, 51, of Park Township, sexually assaulted a 16-12 months-aged scholar past calendar year while doing work as a extensive-term substitute teacher, principally for particular instruction learners, at West Ottawa Large College.
At a sentencing listening to Monday, Judge Jon Hulsing purchased Edstrom to serve at least 18 months and up to 15 a long time in the Michigan Department of Corrections. Edstrom will also have to register as a intercourse offender upon her launch from jail.
Ottawa County Sheriff’s Workplace detectives’ investigation found Edstrom and the scholar had a close connection for months, Edstrom typically providing the student rides dwelling from university.
At Edstrom’s house in Park Township, Edstrom had “gotten drunk one particular evening and experienced occur on to him and commenced possessing sexual intercourse with him and he didn’t know what to do,” the university student explained, according to the law enforcement report. The Sentinel does not detect victims of sexual assault.
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Edstrom was billed with 3rd-degree prison sexual perform, a felony carrying a greatest penalty of 15 many years in jail. She pleaded no contest to the charges at a listening to final thirty day period.
Typically, 3rd-diploma felony sexual perform will involve victims beneath the age of 16, as 16 is the age of consent in Michigan.
On the other hand, the age of consent is lifted to 18 in school configurations if the victim is a university student and the perpetrator is in an authority role at the school, such as a teacher, substitute teacher or administrator.
Edstrom said practically nothing prior to the sentence was handed down, but her attorney, John Moritz, asked for a sentence on the “low end” of the sentencing tips. The sentencing rules in Edstrom’s case experienced advised a sentence concerning 15 and 25 months.
“My client has devoted her existence, up to this stage, to schooling,” Moritz claimed. “She has carried out excellent factors with her existence.”
Edstrom was used at West Ottawa Public Colleges via a Grand Rapids-centered substitute trainer staffing enterprise, EduStaff, and was also employed right by WOPS for a summer season university training position.
— Get in touch with reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and observe her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens.