Despite the international attention to the topic, education officials suggest there are not necessarily more female predators who are teachers.

Jean Hill investigates complaints about teachers for the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission and is a prosecutor for the Utah State Office of Education.

"I don't know if there is more (female teacher/male student crime), but the females seem to make the news," Hill said. "We still have that idea that women don't do this."

It is true that male teachers misbehave more often than female teachers, according to state statistics. Hill said that in 2000-2006, the state investigated 45 male educators and 15 females for sexual activity with students.

With more than 20,000 teachers certified in Utah, these are relatively small numbers.

"It's not an epidemic," Hill said, "but even one is too many."

Hill said female teacher/male student situations used to be swept under the rug.

"Now we find out about it," she said. "I don't think it's a growing problem, but there is a growing awareness."

Hill said that although such sex crimes are rare, they hurt many people besides the young victim.

"What people overlook is that this tears apart the family, it tears apart the school," she said. "When a teacher does this, it causes great harm across the student body and the faculty. It's school-wide."

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E-mail: lindat@desnews.com