Posted on 12/11/2007 1:52:58 PM PST by Zakeet
OMAHA, Neb. - A former teacher accused of having sex with a 13-year-old student said it was the boy's idea to flee to Mexico and that he told her he would kill her if she left him.
"He was pressuring me and that's why we chose to leave," Kelsey Peterson said at a pretrial hearing Monday where U.S. Magistrate Judge F.A. Gossett denied bail, saying Peterson was a flight risk.
Peterson said the boy left bruises on her arms and chest, told her what to wear and threatened her life. She said he was in a gang and had her name tattooed across his chest, and that the boy's family knew about and encouraged their relationship.
The boy's lawyers disputed Peterson's allegations and accused her attorney of lying and using Mexican stereotypes to cloud facts of the case.
"This whole case has been pulling things out of thin air and putting them forth as true," said Stu Dornan, an attorney for the boy.
The 25-year-old former teacher and the eighth-grader were found Nov. 2 in Mexicali, Mexico. Peterson pleaded not guilty Nov. 29 to charges of crossing a border to have sex with a minor.
She said she panicked before they fled to Mexico, but didn't think authorities would come after her. "I was scared to death," said Peterson, who faces federal charges that could result in 10 years to life in prison.
The boy told The Associated Press after the pair were found that he and Peterson had sex.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Peterson, who has been fired from her job as a middle school teacher
and basketball coach, said she left with the boy after school officials
started investigating their relationship. She hoped rumors about them
would blow over.
guilty
Good reason to homeschool.
Looks like somebody ALREADY threw the book at her.
several times....
in the face
OMG the woman adult tries to pin her relationship on the 13 year old boy and paint herself as the manipulated victim.
Lowest of the low.
It might have had a chance of working if she was good looking. All the stupid good looking female sex predators get such lenient sentences, or even get to marry their trappings later on.
Gentlemen of the jury...
George Carlin had some very entertaining insights into this scenario...wish I could find it.
Honey, you are the adult; and you should not be messing around with children.
Mucho guilty
Her lawyer, James Martin Davis, has said the boy is not 13 years old, has a 2-year-old child of his own
wonder if the lawyers have the facts to back that up.
Ping.
Guilty as hell.
This is an example of why single moms cannot raise boys alone.
(yes, I know she’s not his mom. I’m just sayin’)
STILL guilty.
Sooooo guilty it hurts my eyes.
Kid’s idea? Oh, that makes it ok.
Is there such a crime as first degree bad taste?
it’s up for debate whether he was really a child.
wonder if the lawyers have the facts to back that up.
Debate is still open....
Davis is telling anyone who will listen that the boy does have a 2-yr old child.
A new attorney entered the game yesterday, AMY PECK, on the side of the youth, pro bono.. Claims the photos that are being show of the youth and a child purported to be his, is actually his younger brother.. BUT, she does not back up her claim either. She is also working the ‘visa’ angle hard to get him back in the country where he can testify and then, I suspect, once that is done, he and the whole family climb into their vehicle and disappear in a cloud of dust.
Davis offers no proof of his being older than what the Mexican govt and his family have provided which claims he is 13..
Woman even had her own children up there for the news conference to show her “13” yr old and how “small and vulnerable” he was. Kid sure looked impressed being used as an example.
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