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The now former Susquehannock High School Special Education teacher, Emily Lehneis, now 31 of Hanover, was initially charged with the following: solicitation to production of child pornography, unlawful contact with a minor, obscenity, institutional sexual assault, and corruption of minors, according to the Southern York Regional Police Department.
Her charges stemmed from a six-month investigation into the “inappropriate relationship” she had with a high school student. Lehneis kissed the girl in a classroom, and exchanged sexually explicit photos with her, police said.
She only admitted to the felony charge of "School - Intercourse/Sexual Contact with Student" and the misdemeanor charge of "Corruption Of Minors," as stated in court documents.
This was part of a negotiated pleaded deal, and a nolle prosequi was filed, meaning that the other charges have been dropped.
Her sentencing was held at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 26, before Judge Kathleen J. Prendergast, who also proceeded over the pre-trial conference where she entered her plea on Sept. 20, according to court documents.
Her attorney apparently attempted to use Lehneis pregnancy with her third child due in March to sway the judge to hand down a light sentence, according to reports by York Daily Record and York Dispatch.
Lehneis was sentenced to served one to two years in prison, five years of probation, she will be required to register as a Tier II sex offender, and cannot have contact with children outside of her own, court records show ntil family court or the parole board makes a ruling she can only have supervised visits with her children.
She was also ordered to pay $3,250 in restitution to the Pennsylvania Victims Compensation Assistance Program, along with $5,000 in restitution to the victim's family, according to her docket, although a restitution hearing has been scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 23.
Lehneis resigned from the district on Jan. 27, according to school board minutes.
She was also suspended from her role as a soccer coach in the South Western School District and had her teaching licenses suspended on Aug. 25 by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
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