In August 2024, she pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual assault of a child and three counts of online solicitation of a minor.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas — A former East Texas teacher received two years in prison and will have to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to multiple crimes against children.
Annaleigh Andrews, 26, a former teacher at Nacogdoches ISD’s McMichael Middle School, was sentenced on Tuesday to two years and issued a $5,000 fine. She is also required to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life, according to the Nacogdoches County District Clerk’s Office.
In August 2024, she pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual assault of a child and three counts of online solicitation of a minor. The Nacogdoches County District Attorney’s Office decided to not pursue the three counts of trafficking of a child against her as part of the plea.
The Nacogdoches County District Attorney’s Office said Andrews was a reading interventionist at McMichael Middle School when she began grooming the student. She communicated with the victim during the summer after the 2022-23 school year.
Andrews used marijuana with the child and took them to a location, where the child was sexually assaulted on multiple occasions, the statement read.
During the punishment hearing, the victim’s mother said her once silly, school-loving, band kid is now a “recluse who is too embarrassed to attend school or even socialize with the child’s friends.”
Andrews defended her actions by saying she was sheltered and unprepared for the world. She requested that her behavior be looked at as less egregious because she was diagnosed with autism after her arrest by an expert paid for by the defense, the DA’s Office said.
“Research shows that approximately ten percent of students are and will be victims of educator sexual abuse during their time spent in K-12. Additionally, research shows that these crimes are grossly under reported and involve significant grooming regardless of the gender of the teacher or the student,” the DA’s Office statement read.
Assistant District Attorney Amy Wren asked the judge to issue a 10-year prison sentence, while the defense asked for deferred probation community supervision.
The Nacogdoches County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release that it respectfully disagrees with the sentence imposed.
The news release said Judge Malcolm Bales issued the minimum sentence available by law, which is two years in prison. The statement also said Bales believed the appropriate sentence would be probation. But Texas law requires that people convicted of sexually assaulting a child cannot receive probation.
“The District Attorney’s Office does not have control over the sentence imposed and does not believe that it reflects the seriousness of the crime committed, the position of trust the defendant occupied during the commission of these offenses, or the harm suffered by the victim and the victim’s family,” the statement read.
Bales also allowed Andrews to return home for 30 days before surrendering for her prison sentence.
Andrews was arrested in July 2023. NISD said in a statement that she resigned from the school before the accusations against her came to light. She has to turn herself in by May 9.
