A Missouri math teacher is facing prison after admitting last week to having sex with a 16-year-old student who other students were acting as her “guard,” and the boy's father still faces felony charges for condoning the disturbing relationship.
Haley Clifton Carmack, 26, was arrested in January after a student reported the affair to a school resource officer and showed officers photos of scratches he left on the victim's back.
On Friday, she pleaded guilty to sexual contact with a student, a charge that could see her face up to four years in prison. According to the Daily Mail.
The plea deal allowed her to avoid other serious charges, including statutory rape, child sexual abuse and child endangerment.
According to the outlet, the sexy teacher will be under house arrest until her sentencing on October 11th.
The boy's father, Mark Clayton, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child for knowing about the affair and failing to report it.
But Pulaski County, Missouri, prosecutor Kevin S. Hillman said the case will be put on hold until Clifton Carmack is sentenced in that county.
Clifton Carmack's plea is the latest development in a disturbing case that began in December when a student witnessed and reported the boy's relationship with a maths teacher at LaQui High School.
The witness showed police photos of the victim's torn back, which Clifton Carmack allegedly severely disfigured while the two were engaged in sexual activity in the driveway of the witness' home.
The witness added that the maths teacher, a divorced mother of two, had previously been in trouble with school authorities for getting too close to students.
She also often wore revealing clothing, including low-cut shirts and tight leggings.
When detectives arrested suspect Clifton Carmack on Dec. 8, 2023, he denied any involvement.
Police seized her cellphone and eventually found text messages that revealed the steamy relationship, court documents state.
She left just before Christmas, reportedly heading to Texas to visit family, but her roommate said she had moved out permanently and wasn't sure if she would return.
In January, the Garden Ridge Police Department arrested her in Comal County, Texas, and charged her with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, second-degree statutory rape, sexual contact with a student and fourth-degree child sexual abuse.
The boy's father, Clayton, was also arrested in January on a charge of endangering the welfare of a child after another witness told the boy's father about the teacher's actions.
He merely said he knew about their sexual relationship, according to court documents, and that he also knew his son and teachers used students as lookouts, especially when they engaged in sexual acts during class.
Prosecutors said the man “knew about the relationship between the underage child and the 26-year-old teacher, but instead of reporting it, he continued to shield them and allow the relationship to continue” and “allowed Haley to come to his home and meet with the victim.”
He also reportedly told witnesses that he would lie for his son if necessary.
