Painesville: Former Mentor teacher sentenced to prison for sexual contact with student

PAINESVILLE -- A former 9th grade teacher at Shore Junior High School in Mentor has been sentenced to 3 years in prison for having sexual contact with a student.

Maggie Laughlin, 23, broke down in court and apologized during the sentencing hearing.

She had previously pleaded guilty to 8 counts of unlawful sexual contact with a juvenile. Laughlin told the judge she had performed oral sex on the student.

Laughlin could have faced up to 12 years in prison. Her defense lawyer asked the judge to give her probation since this was her first offense.

In the end, the judge followed the request of the prosecution which had asked for the 3 year prison term.

Laughlin was arrested in June.

The job at Shore teaching math was Laughlin's first teaching assignment out of college.

Laughlin passes all the required background checks before being hired because she had no previous criminal record.