Ex-Teacher Melinda Dennehy Pleads GUILTY To 'Sexting' Nude Photos To Student

DERRY, N.H. -- A former New Hampshire high school teacher has pleaded guilty to a charge she e-mailed nude photographs of herself to a 15-year-old student.

Forty-one-year-old Melinda Dennehy of Hampstead entered the plea Monday to a misdemeanor charge of indecent exposure. According to police, the ex-teacher sent 'four sexy shots of herself,' with her 'genitals exposed,' to her 15-year-old male student. The sophomore to which the photos had been sent told police that Dennehy texted him detailing sexual acts she wanted to perform with him.

CBS News adds the teenager told police his teacher "continuously sent him text messages" and "kissed him twice on two separate occasions" while at school.

As part of a plea agreement, Dennehy was given a suspended jail sentence on the condition that she remain on good behavior and have no contact with the child or go to the high school.

In court, Dennehy apologized for her actions and poor judgment. She told the court she's continuing counseling and hopes to lead a productive life.

Dennehy was arrested in March after the photos were found circulating around the high school. She resigned three weeks later.

Comments

[Kyrillos Wickenberg]

10:48 AM on 08/03/2010

Seems to me these kind of shenanigans between a boy and his teacher started with Mary Kay Letourneau and her tween student back in the mid 1990s.

[peacebro]

02:28 PM on 07/30/2010

We pump our kids full of growth hormones delivered in their daily meat and dairy bringing puberty into the single digits and ask them to wait a decade for what many societies welcome as natural at the natural time.

These teachers are a wake-up call just as BP was to the petroleum industry.
And yet we sleep through it in comfy beds supporting our ignorance …or sex with Horney kids.

"…still my guitar gently weeps...”

[jayburd]

02:43 PM on 08/01/2010

That's great. And for your next trick can you connect Melinda Dennehy to Kevin Bacon in 6 degrees or less?

Love the Harrison quote, too, which added another level of WTF random-ness to your inane babble. Well done, sir.

[Kyrillos Wickenberg]

10:34 AM on 08/03/2010

Looks like you don't give a F!

[Averred]

02:28 PM on 07/30/2010

I used to like HP more than I do now. Not sure what has been going on, but I am seriously considering saving all my posts that either get scrubbed or never published, and make it public. I stay within the limitations of the rules and regulations of the site, but some posts just don't get through because someone else decides that they shouldn't for whatever reason.

Who is moderating the moderators?

[joeyfoto]

01:53 PM on 07/30/2010

Please, allow me to attempt the introduction of rational perspective one more time. A 15 year old boy is not a "child" and this teacher's behavior while totally unacceptable is not "pedophilia."

Pedophilia (i.e. adults attracted to and, by extension, having sex with children) is a crime against humanity. Adults, especially authority figures like teachers, having sex with adolescents is not acceptable, it is, however, not in the same class of crime as the rape of a child.

Is perspective still an antidote to hysteria? We'll see.

[Zork4]

12:18 PM on 08/02/2010

Rational perspective part II

Correctamundo Joey. Adults attracted to 13-17 year olds (nominally pubescent) are technically hebephiles, pedophiles are attracted to pre-pubescents.

Pedophiles are dangerous criminals who do major damage. Hebephiles may do damage, especially if there is a power disparity, but a 21 year old and a 17 year old getting together may be benign--it depends on the individuals. Age of consent laws are arbitrary and vary widely around the world with 16 as a common legal age many US States, Canada and much of Europe.
many countries have laws allowing sex for 12-16 year-olds. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Age_of_Consent.png

Obviously teachers and other authority figures should exercise judgement and refrain from having sex with even those who have attained legal age.

[joeyfoto]

06:18 PM on 08/03/2010

Thanks Zork4 for attempting to introduce reason into this discussion, Sadly, at least for the following poster, reason has failed... Still I, for one, appreciate the attempt.

Fanned...jt

[Kyrillos Wickenberg]

10:38 AM on 08/03/2010

A fifteen yo is a juvenile and not of legal age to participate in adult behavior, ie viewing porn and participating in adult situations, as much as your ignorance would like it to be.

[joeyfoto]

06:15 PM on 08/03/2010

Kyrillos Wickenberg wrote: "A fifteen yo is a juvenile..., as much as your ignorance would like it to be."

Being insulted by illiterates is not fun. I would refer you to the dictionary, but that could prove futile so I will provide the definition of "Pedophilia." It is this combination of ignorance with arrogance that makes posting rationally on this delicate subject so very difficult.

Pedophilia (or paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents (persons age 16 and older) characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children

Misuse of terminology: The words "pedophile" and "pedophilia" are sometimes used informally to describe an adult's sexual interest or attraction to pubescent or post-pubescent teenagers and to other situations that do not fit within the clinical definitions. The terms "hebephilia" or "ephebophilia" may be more accurate in these cases. Another erroneous but unfortunately common usage of "pedophilia" is to refer to the actus reus itself (that is, interchangeably with "sexual abuse") rather than the correct meaning, which is a preference for that age group on the part of the older individual. Even more problematic are situations where the terms are misused to refer to relationships where the younger person is an adult of legal age, but is either perceived socially as being too young in comparison to their older partner, or the older partner occupies a position of authority over them. Researchers recommend that this incorrect use be avoided.

[Zork4]

08:31 PM on 08/03/2010

My point was that the selection of 16 or 18 is arbitrary, as humans vary. I've met 25 year-olds who lack emotional maturity, I imagine you have too. Check the link for how the age of consent varies around the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Age_of_Consent.png

Let's talk about sex. Once boys (I can speak only for my gender, but I imagine the curiosity extends to adolescent girls) reach puberty they have sexual response and will go looking for Dad's porno and will experiment with masturbation and other sexual feelings. These feelings don't get switched on at some particular age which would make the setting of that law easy. If all young people suddenly reached sexual maturity at 16 we'd have no problem. But they don't, that transition is reached at various ages. So various countries have various ages at which they allow sex. And most of the time teenagers ignore it, which is why we need comprehensive sex education so they can stay safe--but that's another story.

Nearly everyone would agree we need a law to help stop predatory adults from messing with teenagers, the trouble is figuring out what that age should be. Some states are 18, some 16. It depends. Being absolute about something so variable is, um, ignorant.

[anpu]

01:52 PM on 07/30/2010

What in the world was she thinking? Are there mental health issues in her family? Why would a 41 year old woman to be in a relationship with a 15 year old boy?

On a side note, texting naked pictures to a 15 year old boy in high school is asking to be exposed.

[peacebro]

02:11 PM on 07/30/2010

Yes, the operative word you write is "exposed". This is the thrill of getting naked with someone. So she may have wanted to relive some teen fantasy that was repressed by thinking like yours ..or whatever. Family mental health issue? Human race issue if any.

[CateManhattan]

07:16 PM on 07/30/2010

No, she definitely has some mental health issues, and her family likely has some boundary-violation issues.

Nothing wrong with anpu's thinking. Just because she isn't crude, you want to try a go at her? (I'm assuming anpu is a woman - sorry if I'm wrong.)

[bethnesbitt]

01:46 PM on 07/30/2010

Here is something that makes you wonder what happened inside of this woman's head. Do you think she got off to lightly? What could a woman who is old enough to have a grandchild be able to even possibly see in a 15-year old in the first place?

[bethnesbitt]

01:57 PM on 07/30/2010

Scary

[Christopher Huber]

01:12 PM on 07/30/2010

I am shocked that Switzerland didn't offer her asylum.

[Zork4]

12:29 PM on 08/02/2010

I take this a reference to the Polanski case. The Swiss didn't give Polanski asylum, they refused to extradite based on the failure of the DA to answer the defense argument that Polanski had served his sentence. Big difference.

[Kyrillos Wickenberg]

10:42 AM on 08/03/2010

Same outcome. They defied US laws which said otherwise. The offence was committed in the US, therefore US law should be honored. In effect they gave him asylum.

[MJPD345]

12:56 PM on 07/30/2010

It transcends common sense how a beautiful woman like that would become obsessed with a 15 year old. You mean to tell me there wasn't a 20-35 year old male anywhere near her circle of influence that could bring her back to reality??

[snykerdoodle]

01:18 PM on 07/30/2010

Are you judging her based on her appearance ("beautiful woman")? Perverted minds come in all packages.

[Midnightrain]

01:54 PM on 07/30/2010

Thank you. Plus, she looks like a drag queen.

[peacebro]

01:34 PM on 07/30/2010

What about sexual desiere has ever NOT trancended common sense?

Hormones = Apply within. Logic need not apply.

[3x10p8]

12:42 PM on 07/30/2010

Where were these awesome teachers when I was in school?

[peacebro]

01:48 PM on 07/30/2010

They were there, but too repressed like us to communicate. If I felt a mutual vibe with an older woman I assumed it was just me. Had we played it out, I could have gotten on with my life instead of being captive to an endless list of unresolved repressed fantasies!!! LOL (-:

[NatTurner1]

12:42 PM on 07/30/2010

So when does the 15 year old boy come out of the closet?

[Midnightrain]

01:54 PM on 07/30/2010

She looks like a man to me, too.

[kssaul]

12:39 PM on 07/30/2010

Anyone else getting tired of the term "poor judgment?" It's always use in situations where it is obciously moe than simply poor judgment haha.

[LRanger2]

12:24 PM on 07/30/2010

Oh my - Where is her mind/Where is her mind...

[JaxArab]

12:24 PM on 07/30/2010

I do not want to see her naked or otherwise..

[TobusRex]

11:59 AM on 07/30/2010

Ah, the tenuous line between adolescence and young adulthood. Where to draw the line?

Do you honestly believe the woman could've sent a 15 year old internet savvy male something he's never seen before? Honestly?

Adulthood is celebrated in many cultures at ages as young as 12. Rites of "manhood", some barbaric and painful, others as simple as getting high, and other ways. Yet here in the USA one is considered a "child" until the age of 18. Nevermind that a girl reaches physical maturity well before the age of 18. The "love is ageless" concept is put on a pedestal...UNLESS one of the two people is under the age of 18, and one is over.

The ridiculous sex laws regarding minors need to be re-evaluated. I'm not saying I condone "abuse" of minors, but the fact is that biologically someone at the age of 15 is no longer a child. Scrap the retarded puritanical laws we have on the books with something better. To equate "sexting" with something like rape is highly illogical.

[peacebro]

12:40 PM on 07/30/2010

Some very good points. Especially when you consider that growth hormones in meat products are moving puberty to the 8YO range. We create the desire before there time and ask them to wait until long after. Fan#16

[Uda]

11:39 AM on 07/30/2010

Different gender must create different effects. At my age 17, a beautiful 22 year old female asked me if I would "hoodle" her. Didn't happen - bad time and place. Affected me all my life ----- with regrets.