Tougher Penalty For Teachers Who Sleep With Students

Florida lawmakers are considering longer jail terms for teachers who take sexual advantage of underage students.

A House committee approved a measure (HB 819) Tuesday that would toughen penalties imposed on teachers and other schoolhouse "authority figures" convicted of sex crimes against students under age 18. An identical bill (SB 1334) has been filed in the Senate.

A number of Florida teachers have recently been convicted of luring underage students into sexual encounters. The bill applies to any school authority figure and any student, regardless of where they attend.

Prison time would be extended by 10 or 15 years or converted to life terms, depending on the crime.

The sponsor, Rep. Kelly Stargel, R-Lakeland, says, "Teachers and other school authorities should be held to a higher standard."

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