A former middle school teacher who admitted to sexually abusing a former student over a three-year period, beginning when he was 13 was given a 60-day prison sentence.
Tuesday’s decision was made by Harris County Judge George Glass. In addition to the two-month prison term, Marka Bodine, 32, was sentenced to 10 years probation. Bodine will also have to register as a sex offender and undergo therapy.
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The district attorney’s office, per KTRK and KPRC, had asked that the judge impose a sentence of 20 to 40 years.
Bodine was arrested back in April 2021 for continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 after she complained to her principal that a former student had been harassing her.
Bodine told the principal the former student was making threats to hurt himself. In addition, she allegedly claimed he had somehow accessed private photos of her that he then manipulated.
The former student informed police Bodine had befriended him via an online video game after her divorce. The two started texting, and soon after, began exchanging explicit images and videos.
The two began having sex in 2018, soon after the victim’s 13th birthday.
The boy informed police the abuse continued for more than two years. The former student also alleged the two had had sex in her classroom and her car several times.
Bodine pleaded guilty in May to continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14.
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Despite being sentenced on Tuesday, Bodine is not in a Texas prison today. This is because she recently gave birth, Glass gave Bodine until June 5, 2023, to report to jail.
The victim is not the father of Bodine’s child.
Harris County Prosecutor Janna Oswald in a statement to KPRC expressed frustration with the judge’s decision.
“There are certain types of cases that, in my opinion, really should only warrant punishment, and that is this kind of case,” said Oswald, chief of the Crimes Against Children Division. “I’m heartbroken for the complainant and his family. I’m really disappointed in the outcome as a prosecutor — a child abuse prosecutor, and I’m disappointed as a citizen of Harris County.”