An Arkansas teacher who once wowed his enthusiastic students on national television has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for having sex with a 17-year-old student up to 30 times, including during a school trip to Washington, D.C. received.
Married mother Heather Hare, 33, was sentenced last week to serve 13 years in prison. federal sexual assault casewith concurrent sentences of 20 years in prison in a sexual assault case in Saline County Circuit Court. KATV reported.
Hare teaches a home economics class at Bryant High School, where he met the victim and gave her his phone number, Instagram and Snapchat information.
The once beloved teacher first made headlines in 2020 when she surprised her students by saying goodbye to them on “Good Morning America” after classes were canceled due to the pandemic.
The victim, identified only as “JR,” told police he met Hare on the first day of his senior year at Bryant High School in the fall of 2021, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ray White said at Hare’s sentencing hearing. mentioned in.
“Mr. Hare began one-on-one counseling sessions with the underage victim, eventually providing her personal phone number and communicating with her primarily through Instagram and Snapchat,” prosecutors said. .
“At one point, Halle told JR that she had a dream that the two of them had sex,” White said.
Hare engaged in sexual acts with the victim 20 to 30 times throughout the 2021-2022 school year in multiple locations including his home, car, classroom and high school parking lot.
Hare and the victim also engaged in sexual activity during a school trip to Washington, D.C., in April 2022 that Hare was accompanying.
“JR advised her that she was planning to have sex during the trip and that she didn’t have to worry about getting caught,” White said. “Halle did come to the hotel room and the two had sex.”
Hare, who was arrested in April 2023, was charged in federal court earlier this year with one count of interstate/foreign travel for the purpose of compulsory prostitution/sexual conduct and one count of travel for the purpose of criminal sexual conduct. Pleaded guilty to one count of transporting an adult.
She also pleaded guilty in Saline County Circuit Court to two counts of first-degree sexual assault in connection with a sex act with a Bryant High School student.
“Teachers who have sex with underage students should heed today’s verdict against Ms. Hare, who abused her position of trust and took advantage of this minor’s vulnerability to commit illegal acts. “It reflects the result of repeated sexual acts,” the U.S. attorney said. Jonathan Ross said during sentencing:
Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Hare to life in prison with supervised release.
