Ex-teacher pleads not guilty in sex case

Published: Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009 10:41 p.m. MDT
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FARMINGTON — Valynne Bowers, a former Bountiful teacher charged with engaging in illegal sexual activity with a student, entered not guilty pleas on Thursday.

Bowers, 40, is charged with five counts of rape and three counts of forcible sodomy, all first-degree felonies, involving a 14-year-old boy.

Bowers, who had taught math at Bountiful Junior High School, had been the boy's teacher. Prosecutors say her position as the boy's former teacher and as a teacher in general at the school put her in a position of "special trust." However, her attorney, Rich Gallegos, has repeatedly disputed that and said nothing improper occurred during school hours and that Bowers did not use her role as teacher to initiate anything.

There have been no successful plea negotiations in the case so far.

Another Bountiful Junior High teacher, Linda Nef, 46, was sentenced to three years to life in July after confessing she had engaged in sexual activity with the same boy when he was 13 years old.

— Linda Thomson

Recent comments

I find it very sad when a young boy is involved in sexual relations...

Sharon | Oct. 26, 2009 at 9:31 a.m.

He is so young and this is so wrong, and the women involved should be...

So young | Oct. 23, 2009 at 11:47 a.m.

She better go for a bench trial. Because a jury is not going to care...

legal technicalities | Oct. 23, 2009 at 10:09 a.m.

Image
Beth Schlanker

Valynne Bowers, a former Bountiful Jr. High teacher, appears with her attorney Rich Gallegos during an arraignment hearing at 2nd District Court in Farmington Thursday.

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