Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office
Jennifer Ann Pike, a 44-year-old former teacher’s aid in North Carolina, was convicted on Wednesday, December 19, for allegedly having sex with an East Forsyth High School student.
According to reports, Pike — from Kernersville, North Carolina — pled guilty to two counts of crimes against nature based on charges that stemmed from incidents that allegedly occurred between January and August 2017.
Rebecca Swinson, a 39-year-old was an English teacher at East Forsyth High School, was also recently charged for allegedly carrying out a sexual relationship with a teenage student. She also pled guilty to her charges on Wednesday, December 19, and was charged with three counts of sex acts with a student and 16 counts of taking indecent liberties with a student.
According to the Winston-Salem Journal, Judge David Hall placed Pike on supervised probation for a period of three years, during which time she will be prohibited from going on any property belonging to the Forsyth County school system. Additionally, Pike must also complete 100 hours of community service within a year.
As for why there has been such a significant increase in instances of teachers having sexual relationships with students, researchers believe that technology is to blame.
According to a report from the Texas Education Association, smartphones make easy for teachers to privately text and talk with students and also make it possible for teachers and students to share explicit images.
SESAME (Stop Educator Sexual Abuse Misconduct & Exploitation) President Terri Miller echoed that sentiment, stating “before cell phones, we knew who our kids were talking to” but today, “kids have their own phones, they’re taking them to bed, and parents need to watch more.”
Hoffman has been one of many teachers to be charged for inappropriate conduct. Over the course of just a few months, teachers across the United States have been charged, tried, and convicted of various abuse and sex crimes.
The list goes on to include 22-year-old Oklahoma science teacher Hunter Day, 28-year-old teacher Megan Kotarski, 23-year-old history teacher Michelle Schiffer, 29-year-old Alyssia Marie Reddy, special education teacher Jordan Ondish and 28-year-old Samantha Fitzpatrick have all been allegedly carrying on inappropriate relationships with their students.
Most recently, teachers such as 29-year-old Haylie Smart, 25-year-old Alaina Ferguson, 26-year-old Amy Nowaczyk, and 32-year-old Laura Bucy were arrested and charged for similar crimes.