Comments about ‘Former Roy teacher sentenced for sex with teen’

This is one of the more lenient sentences handed down for a MALE teacher charged with this crime. However, there is still too large of discrepancy between female and male teachers. This seems to be a very fair sentence. Props to the Judge.

It's quite natural and not a "perversion" for an older man to want to have sexual relations with a younger woman, even a young woman, assuming she has gone through puberty. This is an instance where the perp was a predator and went after a young person who didn't have the requisite maturity to ward off his inappropriate advances and actions.

I thought 16 was the legal age of consent in Utah. That would make Mr. Taylor's "crime" merely "unethical", not "illegal". Thus, I'm not sure why we're incarcerating him.

Teachers are held to a higher standard - as it should be - because they are in positions of trust.

Can someone out there in freedom land please tell how Prison "rehabilitates" anyone.
Maybe, lets say in the last 50yrs, do you know of someone, or have you heard of someone being "rehabilitated" through prison time? I was under the understanding that prisons make monsters from so called criminals. Its the toss em in and throw away the key mentality to succor or feeble desire for retribution.What would Jesus do? Would he demand jail,prison or incarceration? We do not seek to heal, we only seek to mete justice in our own terms.

The school counselor from West High will probably wait ten years for his next parole hearing, and this creep gets a slap on the wrist with only 4 years? He deserves a much greater sentence. Judges have to stop being soft on this type of horrendous crime. I hope voters remember this Judge's name when they have a chance to vote him out.

This is disgusting and he should have been sentenced to a longer sentence.This man started enticing this student at 14 y/o. I just wonder is this the first child he has messed around with.

I was surprised it was a male comitting the crime. It seems we have had woman after woman teachers doing this. At least we won't have to here how everyone wants to give the victim a high five.

Why is this teacher going to jail when the politician got a standing ovation ?

I think the father's comments about expecting safety in school to be extremely naive. High school is a very sexualized place - yes, even in Utah. However, it is mostly the students doing it, not the teachers. If the father really wanted a safe environment for his daughter, he should have home-schooled or put her in a girls-only school. Expecting a public high school to be a safe environment is simply stupid, even if the teachers were perfectly moral.

The teacher did wrong, the teacher had most of the fault in this, but if there is to be no blame for the 16 year old girl, because she was a "child".

Then "children" who are 16 who murder ought to betting a free pass too.

I second the idea that some 16 year olds can look and behave like adults and broad-brushing them as "children" ignore the basics of biology. Some 30 year olds have the emotional maturity of 12 year olds and many teens are very mature, both in appearance and thought. Unless force is involved, just about every 16 year old girl understands what she is doing when she engages in sexual intercourse. She likely was infatuated and he likely was very convincing, but in the end she let her emotions dictate her actions.

Of course, there are laws against adults seducing minors and he has to pay for breaking the law. I just get irked when some people want to label these predators as "perverts" or "child molesters" when they are unwisely doing what a good percentage of adult men would like to do, but don't. In my mind it clouds the issue of real child molesters (pre-pubescent victims) who prey on unwilling youngsters.

He has a career in construction? How can people like him get a job period?

How can people say 16 year old girls are adults? Do you remember when you were sixteen, have you looked at sixteen year old girls? The look like children to me. A man who seeks after a 16 year old girl is a child molester.

Utahns seem to be more zealous than others states on these types of situations. Every state makes their own age of adulthood - 18 in Utah I believe, 16 in many others. This former teacher made a serious miscue however, blaming him for everything in this young lady's current status is Baloney! Everyone is responsible for their actions, blaming others is allowed by law to some degree but, eventually one has to take accountability for their own actions. At 18 she no longer is the responsibility of the parents. It appears the former teacher is trying to move on, I suggest parents do the same or repairing broken relationship probably won't occur.

he only be listed as sex offender for 13 years, instead of the rest of his life? I like the comment aat 5:55

First to CourarGuy. The important point you seem to be missing is that the school administration, including the teachers, are "adults", who have the responsibility to insure the "safety" of our children. While I agree, with what's being taught in our schools today, I'd prefer home schooling too. But that has nothing to do with the fact that this teacher was a predator and sought out this relationship since the girl was 14 years of age. To say she should have some culpability at any level, is flat false. She was a child!

Secondly, to Anonymous at 4:29am. It is not the responsibility of the prisions to rehabilitate prisoners. The part you've failed to see is that there are always consequences for what we do or don't do in this life. If the courts simply put them into a mental facility with no "serious" consequence, crimes of this nature would skyrocket. It's not a question of compassion when it has to do with civil issues. In the Church, yes, we do weigh things differently. But, even in the Chruch, if this teacher were LDS, he'd be excommunicated - a consequence and a blessing.

Where have you been living? Even in this period of recession, more than 90% of Americans are employed. Many of these 90% do have criminal records. Just because you have a criminal record doesn't mean you just stop working forever. Seriously, dude.

Parents are really naive to believe that school is a safe place. Nearly 15 years ago when my daughters went to school sexual harassment was being made a big deal in the news. Their comment was "but mom that is what the guys are doing at our school." Many just except it as part of life at school and you will never hear about it.
Now my grandkids are being homeschooled! Thank Heavens for options.

To Why will @ 8:33a.m. There's a difference in child molestors who go out and stalk and molest (rape) children, and this teacher having developed over time, a relationship with this girl. As wrong as it was, pedofiles are out of control and are addicts; as are rapist who seek out women of all ages. This man allowed himself to fall in love with a young girl, rather than to cleve unto his wife - a huge and serious mistake right from the beginning. Had she been an adult, there would have been no crime. In his scenario, there must be a consequence - jail time. But, to register him as a sex offender for 13 years is wrong. Because with that label, it wouldn't matter whether he did the most violent act or a less serious act, the label will always be with him. That's Utah - when it comes to child abuse, they paint a broad brush and overkill everything.