Posted on 07/18/2006 8:32:32 PM PDT by Nextrush
A former high school English teacher who "betrayed a position of trust" was sentenced to 2 to 23 months in York County Prison for having sexual relations with two male students.
Robin Lynn Winkis, who taught and coached at Central York High School for five years, was immediately taken into custody Monday.
York County Judge Stephen Linebaugh rejected Winkis' request for probation, saying she betrayed the school, parents, her students, the community and "every person who entered the teaching profession."
"You crossed the border that one may not cross. There may be no excuse or rationale," Linebaugh said.
"When you betray the level of trust you did, there is no justification for the court to show mercy."
Winkis, 30, was charged in December for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old student and later a 17-year old student in her car, her city apartment and a hotel room.
She later pleaded guilty to corruption of minors and unlawful contact with minors and no contest to sexual assault.
Winkis apologized to the victims, their parents, fellow teachers and the community.
"What I did was wrong. I am sorry. I used poor judgement. I made horrible decisions, she said.
Before sentencing, Winkis' attorney Terrance McGowan presented 12 character letters from supporters and detailed Winkis' troubled history, which included depression and a physically-abusive relationship with a former boyfriend. Winkis allowed the friendships with students to evolve into sex at a time when she was alone, naive, dependent and easily manipulated, he said.
"We are not offering an excuse. She is the adult here. She should have stopped it," McGowan said.
Linebaugh also ordered Winkis to continue with counseling, 100 hours of community service, pay all court costs and related fees and have no contact with the victims or victims' families. She must register as a sexual offender with the Pennsylvania State Police under Meagan's Law.
McGowan said Winkis has already been punished with being disgraced by the publicity and can never teach again, something she loved.
After sentencing, McGowan said he was "disappointed but not surprised." He said that a victim's father wrote in his victim's impact statement that a male teacher would go to jail if he had sex with female students and he wanted the judge to send a consistent message.
"I think this court was in a tough position with the double-standard argument," McGowan said.
Prosecutor David Cook said Winkis was not a victim but a well-educated person who made "thoughful and deliberate choice" to abuse her authority, power and trust. He said the relationship was more than one regretful incident but a prolonged relationship with two students.
"She is sorry now. She wasn't sorry then. She was willing to engage a second child," Cook said.
Winkis even discussed plans to marry one of the victims, Cook said.
"She was a 29- year-old with a master's degree. She could have figured out it was not a good idea," Cook said.
If this were a male teacher seducing female students, the punishment would've been harsher.
Useless without a picture.
With good reason.
I sure hope that's pronounced like Win-kiss.
Is a babe, as I remember.
Looks innocent to me.
Click the link to the story. A picture of her walking in the courthouse on Monday. She's got her yellow jail outfit on now.
Not necessarily innocent, just not guilty ;^)
Some fathers don't like to see their sons accomplish more than they did. Methinks that is the case here.
Do you agree with Michael Medved that male teacher, female student is the worst possible teacher/student sexual relationship?
And yes Michael was making allowances for female/female and male/male.
There is a whole lot more to deal with than a pregnant teen and a number of the boys have impregnated the teachers AND become fathers in the process.
And young men are then more likely to have sex with other young women....
You got that right.
This is a point that a lot of folks seem to be missing.
If this is a new experience for the boy, where is he going to go for the next experience? If it is not new, how will he make use of this "conquest" in his future relationships with children his age?
Raising kids is a constant struggle to civilize the little barbarians and now this predator has either derailed or severely retarded the process for at least a whole classroom.
Robin Lynn Winkis walks into the York County Judicial Center on Monday with her lawyer Terrance McGowan, left. Winkis, a former Central York High School English teacher, began her 2- to 23-month sentence Monday afternoon for having sexual relations with two students.
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