TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Attorney For Tampa Teacher In Sex Case Says Resolution Near

ADVERTISEMENT

TBO.com

Published: September 11, 2008

Updated: 09/11/2008 04:33 pm

Christina Butler

TAMPA - A schoolteacher accused of having sex with a student might change her not guilty plea within the next two weeks.

An attorney for Christina Lin Butler, 34, charged with felony lewd and lascivious battery, said in court this morning that within a couple of weeks they expect to have the case "worked out."

Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi said Butler will not be offered a deal.

"The only way for the case to be worked out is with an open plea to the court or substantial prison time," Bondi said.

In an open plea, a defendant opts to plea guilty or no contest to the charges, leaving sentencing up to the judge.

Butler was arrested on Oct. 23, 2007, after undercover officers with the Tampa Police Department pulled over a Jeep Cherokee being driven erratically by a 16-year-old. After it was determined the Cherokee was owned by Butler, one of the teenage passengers remarked that the driver and Butler were "good friends."

When Butler arrived to pick up the vehicle, officers questioned her and say she admitted to having a sexual relationship with the boy. Investigators say she and the ninth-grader had sex at Butler's home over a three-week period.

Butler taught briefly in 2007 at Middleton High School before she was suspended by the Hillsborough County School Board after charges were filed.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story misstated the status of Butler's case.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT