Woman Coach Jailed For Sex With Fla. Students Ordered Freed

local6.com (WKMG-TV) ^ | November 18, 2003 | AP

[L.N. Smithee]

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. -- A high school assistant coach sentenced in March to three years for having sex with two students was ordered released on time served Monday.

Jennifer Joy Brooks, 28, will still not be allowed to coach, teach or have any contact with minors and will serve seven years of sex offender probation. She also must undergo psychological treatment, cannot get involved romantically with anyone who has children and cannot have contact with the victims.

Brooks had been held after pleading no contest to unlawful sexual activity and committing a lewd and lascivious act. The victims were on the girls' varsity basketball and softball teams at Charlotte High, where Brooks was an assistant coach during the 1999-2000 school year.

Thomas Marryott, Brooks' lawyer, argued in a sentence reduction hearing last week that Brooks should be released because the victims never wanted her jailed. But the father of one the victims said during that hearing he believed the only way to continue to ensure his daughter's safety is to keep Brooks behind bars.

"I really do not believe Jenny is a threat in any way or any kind," Brooks' father, the Rev. Sam Brooks, told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune for its Tuesday editions.

Prosecutor John L. Burns said he was disappointed by Circuit Judge Isaac Anderson Jr.'s decision. Burns said Brooks freely and voluntarily accepted the prison deal on second-degree felonies that could have put her in prison for up to 30 years.

Brooks had not been released as of late Monday, according to jail officials.

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For background on the story, here is an account from SexCriminals.com:

Former school coach pleads no contest to sex with students

Gainesville Sun
February 28, 2003

A former Charlotte High School assistant coach charged with having sex with two student athletes made a plea agreement that will put her in prison for three years.

Jennifer Joy Brooks, 27, pleaded no contest Thursday to unlawful sexual activity and committing a lewd and lascivious act.

She remains free on $10,000 bail until sentencing on March 25.

The Port Charlotte woman would have faced up to 30 years in prison if convicted at a trial. The victims were on the girls' varsity basketball and softball teams at Charlotte High, where Brooks worked as an assistant coach during the 1999-2000 school year.

As part of the plea agreement, Brooks must also spend seven years on sex offender probation. She will not be allowed to coach, teach or have any contact with minors. She also must undergo psychological treatment, cannot get involved romantically with anyone who has children and will be subject to random searches.

She and Brooks became friends and started attending church together in November 1999, according to Charlotte County sheriff's reports. The relationship became sexual shortly after the girl's 15th birthday in January 2000, and continued into the next year.

Detectives learned about the second victim during the investigation into claims by the first girl. That sexual affair, with a 17-year-old, began in April 2000, the reports state.

One of the victims wrote a letter to Judge Sherra Winesett on Wednesday asking that Brooks not be sent to prison. State prosecutor John Burns said the other victim's wishes were similar.

"Neither wanted her to go to prison; we took that into account," Burns said. "The unfortunate thing is that she took advantage of her position of trust. That's what makes this so egregious."

[mishka]

Do you think that if it were a MALE teacher and a 15-year-old GIRL that the paper would have said "The relationship became sexual..."?
Or do you think that it would have rightly said "He started molesting her on..."
C'mon...let's have some of that gender equality we hear so much about.

And how about the judge taking the VICTIMS' wishes into account:
> "Neither wanted her to go to prison; we took that into account,"

Who CARES what the girls think. She is a sexual preditor.
One girl was FOURTEEN years old when this "RELATIONSHIP" began, and the whole point of "age of consent" is that be virtue of BEING fourteen, a person is not CAPABLE of giving consent, because they aren't mature enough...not to mention that she had a position of authority and trust as a teacher. Sick.

[MattAMiller]

Is there some legal defect in this sentenceing? It may be too light, but it seems on the up and up to me.

[goldstategop]

The offender's a lesbo. Say where's GLAAD when you need em?

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

If a person male, female or it use their position to
molest or have sex with a child should have the maximum
amount of time in jail doubled.
These types of people always look for jobs where they are
in charge of children.

[irish guard]

>>>>>Alas, the man has no imagination.....<<<<

Either that or he has an incredible imagination.......c'mon, you've seen those Prison Vixen movies...admit it!

[joesnuffy]

she molests children..but is not threat?...some preacher daddy is

[newgeezer]

"Neither [victim] wanted her to go to prison; we took that into account," Burns said.

I wonder if anyone bothered to ask the girls' parents.

"The unfortunate thing is that she took advantage of her position of trust. That's what makes this so egregious."

Whose "trust" -- the victims' or the parents'? (I certainly lean toward parents, maybe just because I happen to be one who regularly "trusts" coaches with my kids. My kids trust their coaches because I trust their coaches.)

[Servant of the 9]

Wonder what kind of church they went to.

A normal one going by all the news accounts of church sex abuse the last few years.

So9

[csvset]

The Pervert

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Here are a couple of lesbians. Do you really want more?

[rovenstinez]

If Hillary is elected, this girl will get a pardon.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Looks like the guy who played the elf in Lord of the Rings. :)

[irish guard]

Nasty all the way.....just to make certain folks happy....I really do think/believe this is nasty rotten business and this lady should go to jail for a long time. If she had fondled my child I would want the book thrown at her and it stinks that she is getting away with anything.

[irish guard]

I know....HLL, thes lesbians are never what you think.....and thanks loads for these photos...it really helps bring home the fact that this is nasty business. FWIW, if this was a guy who fondled a young boy, they would toss him off the roof...and should....

Clearly a double standard that the babes get off easy (no pun intended)

[presidio9]

Do you really want more?

Suuuuuuuure, why not?

[EllaMinnow]

No way. The elf is MUCH prettier.

[jwalsh07]

Prosecutor John L. Burns said he was disappointed by Circuit Judge Isaac Anderson Jr.'s decision. Burns said Brooks freely and voluntarily accepted the prison deal on second-degree felonies that could have put her in prison for up to 30 years.

Certainly is, a contract was struck between the prosecutor and the perp and the Judge broke it.

[Kuksool]

***Say where's GLAAD when you need em?***

This is probably next on their agenda. Today, gay marriage; tomorrow, teacher-student mentoring.

[carlo3b]

Our modern Our Miss Brooks! If it was a straight guy, with a 15 yo girl, he'd be a domestic bunk partner for next 20 years.. I loath these people.. yuck.

[Kuksool]

Being a part of the homosexual agenda is 24/7 job.