A Virginia judge reduced the sentence of a high school teacher because she claimed she’d been diagnosed with a “hypersexuality” disorder.
On May 23, Campbell County Circuit Court Judge John T. Cook sentenced William Campbell High School teacher Kathleen Cawthorne, 32, to 11 years in jail. However, Judge Cook suspended all but four months of the sentence because he agreed that Cawthorne had a “debilitating” condition.
Judge Cook said that he felt Cawthorne could not control the “sudden sexual urges” that overcame her.
During sentencing, Cawthorne came before the court to apologize for her actions. The teacher was arrested in April of 2012 for engaging in a relationship of a sexual nature with a student. She also participated in “sexting” with the young man.
At trial, Cawthorne maintained that she never actually had sex with the boy but admitted that they had touched each other “in private areas.”
Prosecutors, however, insisted that at one point the pair had sexual intercourse in an outdoor location.
Cawthorne pleaded no contest to one charge of indecent liberties with a child and three counts of electronic solicitation of a minor.
The teacher will also have to register as a sex offender.
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