Woman Convicted Of Rape Found With Victim Violation Of Her Suspended Sentence Could Mean Jail Time For Former Teacher

Mary Kay LeTourneau, the former elementary school teacher who pleaded guilty to child rape after admitting she had sex with a 13-year-old boy, was arrested by police Tuesday after being found in a car with the boy.

LeTourneau’s attorney confirmed that the boy in the car was LeTourneau’s juvenile lover whose child she bore last year. Police questioned the boy, now 14, Tuesday morning. He later was released.

LeTourneau, 35, was arrested near her residence in south Seattle about 3 a.m. Police were in the area looking for a car whose driver earlier had attempted to run down a police officer. Officers came upon another car with its parking lights on and stopped to question the occupants.

They identified the driver as LeTourneau, who was with the teenage boy. Police would not say why LeTourneau and the boy were there at 3 a.m. or what they were doing.

Released last month after spending six months in jail, LeTourneau was to begin a three-year treatment program as a sex offender. Being with a juvenile is a violation of her release.

Last August, LeTourneau pleaded guilty to the rape of the former student, whom she had known since he was in her second-grade class. LeTourneau was sentenced to about 180 days in jail and given a 7-1/2-year suspended sentence.

The sentence, issued by King County Superior Court Judge Linda Lau, included the provision that she have no contact with the boy - whose baby she gave birth to last May.

If Lau determines that LeTourneau has not complied with the guidelines set down by the court, her sentence could be extended by 7-1/2 years - the time she would have served had she gone to prison.

LeTourneau’s sexual involvement with the boy came to light last year. LeTourneau, married at the time, was then the mother of four children.

At her sentencing hearing, a tearful LeTourneau promised the judge she would not offend again.