NJ teacher avoids jail time after having sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student, given lifetime parole

A former teacher in New Jersey managed to avoid jail time after she admitted to having a sexual relationship with a then 17-year-old girl for several months in 2017 and 2018. The student was part of the drama club that the teacher oversaw, according to the Daily Mail.

Christine Knudsen, 46, was given a three-year suspended sentence for the inappropriate relationship. She was also told by a New Jersey judge that she would be on parole for the remainder of her life.

As part of her punishment, the former teacher at Fair Lawn High School will also have to register as a sex offender and was told that she is not allowed to have any contact with the victim, per the report. The only way she would have to serve time in prison is if she violates the terms set.

State Superior Court Judge Nina Remson said: "You are hereby sentenced to three years in New Jersey State Prison to be suspended."

"You are also sentenced to comply with registration requirements of Megan's Law and parole supervision for life," Remson added.

"I'm going to give you a document that indicates where you'll be reporting to parole," the judge continued. "I'm also going to execute the Nicole's Law restraining order, and you'll be given a copy of that in just a moment as well."

Knudsen could be seen in the courtroom wearing a face mask, sniffling as the judge laid out the terms of her punishment. The New York Post reported that the relationship was technically legal because the student was at the age of consent, but the student was considered a child for the sentencing.

"You are to have no contact with the victim, whose initials are NK, of course you know who that is," the judge continued.

"You're barred from her residence, school, place of employment, [and] you're prohibited from having any oral, written, personal, telephonic, electronic or any other form of contact with her."

Knudsen taught for twenty years and generally had a positive influence on her classes, according to letters from former students. However, Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Bollenbach said that the relationship she had with the student was still a violation.

“So while this is certainly not a victimless crime — it’s far from it — I hope that Ms. Knudsen is forever deterred,” Bollenbach said. “I think that is in the best interest of the community as a whole and certainly to the students.”

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