Ex-Maryland teacher convicted of sex abuse of 14-year-old student

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A former middle school teacher who repeatedly sexually abused a 14-year-old student in Maryland has been sentenced to three decades in prison, but she will serve only one year, a judge ruled.

Melissa Marie Curtis, 32, pleaded guilty to three counts of a third-degree sex crime on June 20, according to Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and District Court of Maryland court documents obtained by USA TODAY on Wednesday.

The Montgomery County Police Department began an investigation in early October 2023 when the eighth-grade victim, now an adult, reported that he had been sexually abused by Curtis, who was a teacher at Montgomery Village Middle School, according to a previous press release from the agency.

At the time of the offenses, detectives reported, the student was 14 years old and Curtis was 22.

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Judge: Teacher must serve 12 months in prison

Curtis, who is from the town of Upper Marlboro in Prince George’s County, was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison, a spokesman for the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office told USA TODAY on Wednesday.

But Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Theresa Chernosky suspended most of Curtis’ sentence, allowing her to serve 12 months in prison followed by five years of supervised probation, the spokesman said.

When she is released, Curtis must register as a sex offender, the spokesman said, and will not be allowed to have unsupervised contact with minors other than her children.

Prosecutors did not respond to a request for comment on the sentencing.

Teacher abused 14-year-old in the classroom, in the car, at home

The victim told detectives the abuse began in 2015, the spokesman said, when he volunteered at an after-school program Curtis ran and “they were often alone together”

Charging documents show the victim told detectives Curtis sexually abused him in a classroom, in a car, at his home and as well as Curtis’ home “more than 20 times” when he was in middle school. The complaint says Curtis also gave the boy drugs and alcohol several times.

A warrant for Curtis’ arrest was obtained on Oct. 31, 2023, and Curtis turned himself in on Nov. 7, 2023, officials reported.

At the time, Curtis had been a teacher for about two years in Montgomery County, also teaching at Lakelands Park Middle School.

A spokesman said Fox 5 Curtis left Montgomery County Public Schools in 2017.

USA TODAY has reached out to Montgomery County Public Schools.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her at X @nataliealund.