HANCOCK COUNTY, Ind. — A former teacher’s aide and substitute teacher at Mount Vernon High School pleaded guilty to child seduction, but that doesn’t mean she’ll spend time behind bars.
On Monday, Kisha Nuckols accepted a plea deal and a judge sentenced her to four years. After pleading guilty, she tearfully asked the judge to help her avoid jail or prison time. In the end, the judge granted that request.
Nuckols didn’t have anything to say leaving court after getting her wish to serve two years of home detention and two years on probation for a felony sex crime.
While working as a substitute teacher Mount Vernon High School, prosecutors say Nuckols sent a 17-year-old student explicit photos of herself and the two later had sex in Nuckols’ home several times.
“Obviously these crimes are serious. What she did was serious. I think it was reflected in the charges filed. I think it was reflected in the sentence she pled to and she got an aggravated sentence,” said Hancock county prosecutor Brent Eaton.
According to court records, Nuckols confessed to police and even admitted to having inappropriate relationships with multiple students.
”I’ve embarrassed my family, community and schools,” said Nuckols. “I never should have had relationships with students. I brought the schools into a dark spotlight.”
“In front of the judge she did express remorse for what occurred and has been in therapy since this occurred. It’s fair to say the judge may have factored that in while making his decision,” said Eaton.
Prosecutors had asked that Nuckols serve two years on work release as a consequence for abusing the trust placed in educators, but say they respect the judge’s decision to forego any jail time.
“We try to take each case individually and we did everything we could to pursue the case and get a just conclusion,” said Eaton.
Nuckols was fired by the Mount Vernon school district after the criminal charges were filed.
Prosecutors also charged high school principal Scott Shipley with not immediately reporting the sexual misconduct. Shipley allegedly waited two weeks before reporting rumors about Nuckols to administrators.
Shipley is set for a jury trial in December.
Prosecutors say Nuckols will have to register as a sex offender for ten years after her sentence is complete.
