Polk county teacher Jennifer Fichter was sentenced to 22 years in prison for engaging in s*xual activity with three 17-year-old students on multiple occasions.
Fichter, who pleaded guilty to 37 child s*x charges in March, mouthed the words “I love you” and waved to family members as she was taken away by a bailiff after the sentencing.
The Circuit Judge Glenn Shelby sentenced Fichter to three years less than the plea deal offered by the State Attorney’s Office.
Each charge of unlawful s*xual activity with a minor carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Before the sentencing, Fichter spoke to the mother of one of the victims and apologized for the crime.
The investigation and the arrest
Fichter was initially arrested on April 14, 2014, on allegations of engaging in a s*xual relationship with one of her students at the Central Florida Aerospace Academy in Lakeland, where she had taught English for three years.
The academy, which is part of Kathleen High School, holds classes at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.
The Polk County School Board fired Fichter a week after her arrest.
Following news reports of her arrest, two more teenagers, both 17-year-old male students of Fichter, came forward, leading to 27 new charges in Polk County in addition to the 10 counts Fichter already faced.
During the hearing, Circuit Judge Glenn Shelby emphasized that their ages didn’t make the victims any less of a victim.
He said that Fichter was the adult, the teacher, the role model, and she violated one of the great trusts they have, which is trusting teachers with their children.
The mother of one of the victims and Assistant State Attorney Ashley Krieger both told Shelby that the teenager never told his parents about an abortion Fichter received.
Later, the parents learned that he had been the father. Krieger argued that Fichter should not receive a less severe sentence than a man who had s*x with three 17-year-old girls.
Matthew Farmer, the lawyer for Fichter, told Shelby that parents of two of the teenagers asked the judge to be merciful.
He said that at least one has said that no severe punishment is necessary.
However, Krieger pointed out that Fichter lied to a victim’s mother, and he had to keep a huge secret from his parents.
The testimony lasted about three hours before Shelby told the lawyers that he would study exhibits and testimony before making a decision.
He returned to the bench after about ten minutes with his decision and said that there wasn’t a need for probation following the sentence.
Part of the hearing included a lengthy recorded phone conversation by Lakeland police of a call between a victim’s mother and Fichter after the mother had found out about the relationship.
Fichter told the teen’s mother that she still wanted to be with him and asked if she could speak with him anytime soon.
The mother said her son had never had a girlfriend before meeting Fichter.
Initially, her son lied about the relationship, telling his mother it was an older teen he was seeing. Eventually, his mother saw numerous text messages and figured out it was Fichter. Her son remains in counseling, she said.
Fichter still faces three similar charges in Hillsborough County. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
The case highlights the importance of protecting children from s*xual abuse and exploitation.
Teachers, who are entrusted with the education and welfare of children, must uphold high ethical standards and respect boundaries at all times.
Engaging in any inappropriate or s*xual relationship with students is a breach of trust, and teachers who engage in such behavior must face severe consequences to deter others from doing the same.
