A high school counselor and volleyball coach from North Carolina has been sentenced to between 28 and 40 years in prison after admitting to the sexual abuse of a teenage student he was meant to support for anxiety issues, according to officials.
Jessica Patrick Finley, who worked at McDowell High School, pleaded guilty to a range of felony charges involving minors, including multiple counts of statutory sexual offenses, lewd acts with a child, and sexual activities with a student.
Reports indicate that Finley groomed a 14-year-old student during the 2023-24 school year, starting with inappropriate communication that eventually led to sexual interactions. Some of this misconduct reportedly took place in her office, where the student had initially gone for counseling.
The girl’s sister described Finley as a “predator” who waited for victims in the counseling center, while their mother expressed a strong emotional reaction, stating they would have done anything to rescue her daughter from Finley.
Court documents reveal that the abusive relationship involved sexual encounters and explicit text messages about future acts, with many incidents occurring after the victim turned 15.
Finley allegedly told the student that she was leaving her family to be with her, according to court filings. The relationship came to light when the victim’s parents found the messages and alerted authorities, prompting Finley to resign from her position in February 2024.
An investigation initiated by the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office led to Finley’s numerous charges, and she ultimately pleaded guilty to all counts in Superior Court after initially rejecting a plea deal and seeking a bail reduction.
In court, Finley expressed remorse, stating, “I want to say that I am truly sorry for my actions and for what I caused and the pain I caused.” She was subsequently sentenced to a minimum of 28 years and four months, with the possibility of a maximum of 40 years and six months in prison.
