Posted 12:04 am Thursday, January 24, 2008
Ex-Substitute Given Probation For Sex Assault
EDITOR'S NOTE: It is the policy of the Tyler Morning Telegraph not to identify the victims of sexual assault to encourage the reporting of such crimes.
By CASEY KNAUPP
Staff Writer
A former Smith County jailer pleaded guilty Wednesday to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old Bullard High School student while she was a substitute teacher there.
Staff Writer
A former Smith County jailer pleaded guilty Wednesday to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old Bullard High School student while she was a substitute teacher there.
Jennifer Elizabeth Bagley, 36, was convicted of having an improper relationship between educator and student by a Smith County jury and was sentenced Aug. 29 to 10 years probation.
Ms. Bagley pleaded guilty Thursday to sexual assault of a child, involving the same victim, and was sentenced by 241st District Judge Jack Skeen Jr. to 10 years probation.
The defendant entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors and will serve the sentences at the same time. She has been serving a six-month jail sentence assessed by Skeen as part of her probation on Aug. 29, and is scheduled to be released on Feb. 24. She will have to register as a sex offender.
"I deeply appreciate you admitting your guilt on this," the victim told Ms. Bagley during victim impact statements. "I hope you can move on with your life in a more healthy way."
The victim said she hoped Ms. Bagley will be happy, content and at peace, and she hoped it would be a life-changing experience for her.
"I wish you good luck," she said.
Ms. Bagley worked as a guard at the Smith County Jail in the mid-1990s before becoming an officer at the Smith County Juvenile Attention Center. She also held several other jobs involving children throughout the years and was a substitute teacher at Bullard, Jacksonville and Tyler schools for six to seven years, she said.
Ms. Bagley worked as a guard at the Smith County Jail in the mid-1990s before becoming an officer at the Smith County Juvenile Attention Center. She also held several other jobs involving children throughout the years and was a substitute teacher at Bullard, Jacksonville and Tyler schools for six to seven years, she said.
The victim, now 19 and a prison guard, testified in August that she was a 16-year-old junior at Bullard High School on Oct. 26, 2004, when she and her substitute, Ms. Bagley, began a sexual affair that lasted for more than a year. She said she and Ms. Bagley had sex 15-20 times, and the teacher also gave her marijuana, alcohol and other drugs.
Ms. Bagley frequently told her, "If I go down, you're going down with me," she said.
A male student at Bullard High School, during the same time, said Ms. Bagley supplied him with Xanax, Vicodin and other pain pills.
Prosecutors said she also supplied the students with cocaine.
Ms. Bagley testified during the trial and repeatedly denied committing the offense.
The victim's grandfather told Ms. Bagley that since the last time he saw her at trial, there has been a significant change. He said her admitting her guilt saved the family from going through another agonizing trial and admitting her guilt was the first step to redemption.
He said it has been very difficult for the family and for his granddaughter, a black mark for the school system and a tragedy for the community. He also said he knew it's been a tough time for Ms. Bagley and he hoped they could put it all behind them and that Ms. Bagley would benefit from it.
He thanked the judge, the prosecutors and defense attorney and said he prayed for Ms. Bagley's spiritual redemption.
Assistant Smith County district attorneys Joe Murphy and Zach Davis prosecuted the case while Don Davidson represented the defendant.
