POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY, Okla. – A surprising twist in the case of a former Mcloud teacher accused of sex crimes.
Kimberly Crain stood accused of taking sexually explicit pictures of her elementary school students.
After several hours of testimony during sentencing, Crain agreed to a deal to change her plea.
Crain changed her plea from no contest to guilty on all 31 criminal counts.
In exchange, the judge sentenced her to spend 45 years behind bars.
FULL COVERAGE: Former teacher, professor accused of lewd acts with students
Prosecutors said Crain routinely took nude and provocative pictures of students both in class and at the Crain home.
“It was a daily occurrence,” district attorney Richard Smothermon said. “Ms. Crain would find ways to make children take their cloths off.”
Crain quietly left court after she tearfully apologized for committing crimes and received a 45 year prison sentence.
“What she got today is what she deserves,” Smothermon said. “It, in effect, ends her life in prison.”
“She deserves it; it’s what she gets,” the mother of one victim said.
All the victims unanimously agreed to the deal.
“It gives us peace,” the mother said. “It’s what we wanted.”
Prosecutors claim Crain would share the lewd images via Skype with former professor Gary Doby who also pleaded guilty and is serving a life sentence.
Crain’s friends and family blamed her age and Doby himself for encouraging the crimes.
That’s a poor excuse, according to the D.A.
“For her to say she was coerced or it was menopause shirks her responsibility and it’s insulting,” Smothermon said.
The district attorney said Doby planned to testify against Crain before she agreed to the guilty plea.
Crain can still have her sentence reviewed one year from now.
Her family left court without comment.
