Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Students Pleads Guilty
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A local teacher, accused of sexually assaulting two teenage students, has pleaded guilty.
Early this morning, former Perry Traditional Academy teacher Michael White and his lawyer, Blaine Jones, stood before Allegheny County Judge Jill Rangos and changed his not guilty plea to guilty.
"We decided after working on this case for months that it was in his best interest to take a plea," said Jones, the defense attorney.
Among the charges the computer technology teacher faces, that he fondled a 15-year-old female student and boasted that he had money and cars trying to lure the girl to his home. But eventually she told police what he wanted was too much.
Although the prosecution dropped some charges that would carry a mandatory 30 to 60 years in prison, the seven charges to which he pleaded guilty today add up to a maximum of more than 50 years if Judge Rangos sentences him to the maximum and makes the sentences consecutive.
The seven guilty pleas he offered:
- Statutory sexual assault
- 2 counts of Institutional sexual assault
- Sexual assault
- Corruption of minors
- Indecent assault
- Providing liquor to minors
When asked if his client has shown remorse, Jones said, "Absolutely. Listen, to take a plea you have to show some level of contrition, I think he's done that and he's looking to move forward in his life. That's why we're here today. We didn't want to waste the court's time. We didn't want to waste the jurors' time. We felt that this was the best course of action."
White could face lifetime Megan's Law registration and evaluation by the Sex Offender Assessment Board.
He will be sentenced in February.
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