Judge allows sex offender Debra Lafave to have contact with children of family and friends
By APThursday, October 29, 2009
Judge says Lafave allowed contact with children
TAMPA, Fla. — A judge says former teacher and sex offender Debra Lafave is allowed to have contact with the children of family and friends.
Lafave is the former middle-school teacher who pleaded guilty in 2005 to having sex with a 14-year-old boy who was a student at the school where she worked. She served 2 1/2 years of house arrest and is still on sex-offender probation.
After a hearing Thursday, Circuit Judge Wayne Timmerman said that because Lafave has completed sex-offender therapy, state law allows her “appropriate” unsupervised contact with minors. Prosecutors did not object.
Lafave still isn’t allowed to live near a school or work with children.
Her attorney called it “a good step forward.” Lafave did not comment.
