A teacher who once appeared on ‘Good Morning America’ is facing life in prison after pleading guilty to a heinous crime.
Heather Hare, a former teacher at the Bryant High School in Arkansas, pleaded guilty to “transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of unlawful sexual activity.”
According to a news release from the Department of Justice, Hare met the victim on his first day of his senior year at Bryant High School, where she was teaching family consumer science classes.
“Hare began one-on-one counseling sessions with the minor victim, eventually giving him her personal phone number and primarily communicating with him through Instagram and Snapchat,” the release explained.
As this private communication developed, Hare reportedly told the victim she had dreamed of having sex with him and invited him to her house in Conway.
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They went on to have sex between 20 and 30 times at her house, in her car and even in her school classroom and parking lot.
“Between April 21 and April 24, 2022, Hare was the sponsor and chaperone for a field trip to Washington, D.C., as part of an extracurricular activity related to the Family Consumer Science courses Hare taught,” the release continued.
Married female Arkansas home economics teacher Heather Hare, who rose to fame with 2020 viral video, admits to having sex with male high school senior 20 to 30 times – including on a class trip to Washington DC – and now faces up to life in prison
Heather Hare, 33, was a… pic.twitter.com/ZoNhJ4QMC8
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“During the field trip, which included four students, of which the minor victim was the only male student, Hare and the minor victim engaged in the unlawful sexual activity to which she pleaded guilty.
Hare was indicted Aug. 1, 2023. Authorities charged her with one count of interstate/foreign travel for prostitution/sexual activity by coercion and one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. “In exchange for her guilty plea, the remaining charge was dismissed,” the DOJ news release reported.
Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, said Hare had taken advantage of her position of authority.
“This former teacher took advantage of her position of trust and the vulnerability of a minor, using her role to entice and lure this minor into engaging in unlawful sexual activity,” he said.
“Our office will continue to seek significant penalties against any educational professional who sexually abuse their students.”
The 33-year-old faces between 10 years and life imprisonment for her crimes. After completing her sentence, she will then be liable for at least five years of supervised release.
She will be sentenced by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky at a later date.
Hare received a flurry of attention during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, appearing on ABC’s Good Morning America when her students organized a “tearful farewell video” after one of her classes was discontinued in favor of core subjects being taught by distance learning, ABC News reported.
ABC has since scrubbed all traces of the footage from their website and social media.
