Kristy Sanchez-Trujillo Charged With Rape For Sex With 13-Year-Old Student (VIDEO)

Kristy Sanchez-Trujillo, a 33-year-old social studies teacher at Jimmy Carter Middle School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been charged with rape after she confided to a fellow teacher that she was having sex with one of her 13-year-old male students. That teacher contacted the authorities.

Sanchez-Trujillo has been fired and the revelation of her sexual misconduct has sent shockwaves through the community:

Dianna Yonker sits in shock, her daughters in tears after learning a former teacher of her girls and good friend was fired by APS.

"She's actually a personal friend of my girls, my girls spend an awful lot of time with her," Yonker said. "They go to parties that they've thrown with her little girls, she's come to my home to my girl's birthday party. She's always conducted herself in a professional manner."

WATCH:

Comments

[dazed]

07:44 AM on 02/27/2010

Yech.

[AZ4thatone]

02:33 AM on 12/19/2009

He was 13! Uhgggg... who wouldn't think this was a case of abuse? The woman has a problem.

[dancucich]

12:32 AM on 11/02/2009

She shouldnt have trusted her "friend",and she should have denied
the whole thing. It would have been extremely difiicult to prove what happened
behind closed doors beyond a reasonable doubt.

[idealisticNM]

06:08 PM on 10/30/2009

This is a school & teacher in my district.
This is also quite pathetic.
I'm a high school teacher, and I teach STUDENTS. I cannot fathom of thinking of them in any other way than them being my STUDENTS. Ugh !

Another side controversy to this was when it was originally reported, the reporter stated that this teacher was "ratted out" by another teacher whom Sanchez-Trujillo had told. The indignation was loud and vociferous ! Excuse me, but we teachers have a professional and legal obligation to report on suspected or real child abuse (or sex crimes of this nature). Otherwise, we could face legal consequences if we knew and didn't tell anyone ! For this reporter to state that another teacher "ratted [her] out" was a poor choice of words in a very serious and sad case.

[edjumacator]

09:02 AM on 11/11/2009

I agree. I am not sure how this is ratting out? We who are teachers have a responsibilty to the welfare of our students even on the hint of abuse by any person whether they be teacher, parent, another student, etc...

[XRaraavis]

05:48 PM on 10/30/2009

I do think that we are a little crazy in this country about how severely we punish adults who have consensual sex with teens. (I know they can't legally consent ) While what this women did should certainly be a crime, I think 25 years in prison and a life time on the sex offender registry is insane. Yes I believe the same goes for adult men and teen girls. A first offense in this type of case should be a year or two max in prison, with years of mandated therapy and probation, and a few years on the sex offender registry. In this case some additional time in jail for abusing her role as a teacher.

For those who think this is great for the boy there are consequences to sex such as pregnancy and STD's that this kid could change this kids life forever. This teacher took advantage of this boy, he may have been willing but due to her age and position it was an exploitive relationship by it's definition.

[edjumacator]

09:10 AM on 11/11/2009

I disagree. A pedophile is a pedophile is a pedophile. I think the sentencing for these type of crimes should be heavier for teachers. You have a responsibility to these kids and any violation of that should be punished to the furthest extent of the law. I am ateacher and it disgusts me that these things happen, because it nakes what is one of the most honorable professions tarnished. There should be stringent backround checks on all prospective teachers. If someone abused my kid no matter at what age, I don't think a one or two year prison sentence would cut it. Unless those one or two years consisted of weekends spent with me and a Louisville Slugger.

[linton]

04:34 PM on 10/30/2009

Why did she think she had to tell another teacher about it?

[jenabean]

04:29 PM on 10/30/2009

I don't think the problem is with the boy's part in this. We all know how a lot of boys are. The problem lies with the teacher and the trust we have in them to be responsible when it comes to our children. I am so tired of reading about how basically boys are boys and how lucky this kid is. All of you who state this type of mindset are missing the real issue.

As to the others who say that this is not "rape", just because he was a willing and even perhaps a happy participant, does not mean that this was not statutory rape, just as if it were a girl with a male teacher. Even if the girl was enamored with her male teacher, he would (or should) still be held accountable.

Bottom-line: This is why children are children. They cannot handle the responsible decisions and they do not know what is best for them. This boy was still a child and the ADULT teacher knew this.

[leeclayton]

04:21 PM on 10/30/2009

There's a perplexing lack of indignation on this thread. Where are all the childrens' rights advocates?
Perhaps they spent all their outrage on the Polanski case. Or maybe their sexism prohibits them from advocating for this particular victim.

[alsm9]

11:05 AM on 10/31/2009

Really?

[jdabbott51]

03:57 PM on 10/30/2009

By being in a high school environment teachers can consciously revert to thinking they're in high school/middle school and can find themselves fraternizing and conduct themselves in unacceptable behavior. In some events, teachers even become teachers because they love the school environment. But there's no escaping that middle school and high school is still an environment where everyone strives for hyper-acceptance, and even teachers themselves can fall into this trap.

I'm sure Kristy is more capable of contributing to society than to contaminating it. She's been forthcoming throughout the entire investigation as well.The thirteen year old will now live with a Don Juan Demarco status. I say if the boy doesn't want to press charges then just revoke her teaching license and give her ongoing years of treatment and probation. This case is more sad than anything.

[gremlin1]

03:54 PM on 10/30/2009

I just don't understand. First of all, as a 13 year old girl I found most 13 year old boys to be rather immature and unappealing. I don't understand how anyone over the age of 14 would be attracted to one. Secondly, as a teacher I have never looked at any of my students as anything other than children. It is just beyond my comprehension that any teacher in his/her right mind (and I think this is the key) could look at a student and think, "Oh, yeah, gotta get me some of that!" ICK!

[Flavor]

05:06 PM on 10/30/2009

gremlin, thats because when you took the oath to be a teacher you meant it. I too, just don't understand what is happening in our society today. This is definitly a criminal act, and also 5 stars and 5 kudo's to you who is doing a great job, and knows what the responsibility of being a teacher carries. Thank You!!!!!

[kobrock1]

03:52 PM on 10/30/2009

I'm sure the authorities will soon be on the way to pick me up, but I don't trust those who say they don't believe that this specific circumstance, of an attractive female teacher and a male student, isn't of itself mitigating. This the kind of crime that when I was that age, I certainly would have volunteered to be the victim.

[Flavor]

05:10 PM on 10/30/2009

Yes, you probably do need to be examined. Because, if it were your sister, niece, girl cousin, little suzie next door, you might think different.

[louiexiii]

03:40 PM on 10/30/2009

The cops need to take that boy into the station and give him his "luckiest boy in the world medal" STAT!!

[CherrySpring]

04:14 PM on 10/30/2009

If the teacher had been male I bet you'd be singing a different tune.

[kobrock1]

05:47 PM on 10/30/2009

That's my point.

[Flavor]

05:11 PM on 10/30/2009

Please! get some serious help.

[captainindustry]

03:10 PM on 10/30/2009

My 2cents.. She has robbed that young man of one of the major experiences in life. That is he and a young lady HIS OWN AGE discovering the intracacies and joys and frustrations of young love and sex.

I don't want him within 200 feet of my grandaughters.

[Jaskoen]

02:53 PM on 10/30/2009

How many oscar-winning films has she directed?

[Martha601]

02:48 PM on 10/30/2009

When a woman does this, it is just as harmful to the boy as it is a girl. Case and point: Miss "happily-married" Mary Kay. You ever wonder why this young man is married to this OLDER woman and never really took the time to date and meet other young women? It's because he is totally screwed up by her. He married his abuser!!!! He hasn't even had the chance to be young. He may have thought that he was winning when he was having sex with this woman but the psychological damage is obvious. Some young women have this connection with their abusers also. There needs to be the same punishment for the women who do this as well as the men. Period!!!

[carolinecantoo]

03:51 PM on 10/30/2009

How can you know he is screwed up? This is biology banging it's head against societal norms. I have not heard a man or boy come out and say how this has hurt them. Every man I ask or engage in this discussion with just smiles and says," what a lucky boy!" I have come to the conclusion that people like to have sex and will do so whether it is socially acceptable or not. It's not called a drive for nothing.

[Martha601]

07:37 PM on 10/30/2009

Man and boy are completely different. Why don't we just open it up and let them date openly. Allow these women to come and pick the 12 year old up for a date or start going to prom with them. Hey, nothing wrong with the teachers going to JUNIOR prom with their students. My opinion is that because they are children, it is harmful. CHILDREN is the key word. So this is just my opinion but I doubt that any child whether female or male is ready for a sexual relationship with an adult. If it's okay for little boys then we should go on and let the little girls do it too right? Is that what you're saying? You know that some of these little girls who are found to have had sexual relationships with men sometimes think that they're in love too? That must be psychologically healthy too as far as your point. I hope that we don't get to the point that "anything goes" when it comes to our children. But, this IS just my opinion. You have a right to yours too.