Teacher who told minor she dreamed of having sex with him pleads guilty to abusing him 20 to 30 times

BRYANT, Ark. (TCD) -- A 33-year-old teacher recently pleaded guilty to having sex with a minor multiple times, including on a field trip out of state.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas Jonathan Ross announced Monday, Jan. 22, that former Bryant High School teacher Heather Hare pleaded guilty to transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of unlawful sexual activity. Hare was indicted on Aug. 1, 2023. She was also indicted on one count of interstate/foreign travel for prostitution/sexual activity by coercion, but the charge was dismissed as part of Hare's plea deal.

Hare, who taught family consumer science classes, reportedly met the minor victim when he was a senior, and she began one-on-one counseling sessions with him. The attorney's office said Hare provided her personal phone number and primarily spoke with him via Instagram and Snapchat.

Hare reportedly told the high school senior she "had a dream of them having sex." According to the attorney's office, Hare gave the minor victim her home address, and they had sex around 20 to 30 times during the 2021-2022 school year. Prosecutors said they engaged in sexual acts in Hare's Conway home, in her car, and even in her classroom and the Bryant High School parking lots.

According to the attorney's office, Hare pleaded guilty to having sexual relations with the male victim while chaperoning an April 2022 field trip to Washington, D.C., as part of the classes she taught. The victim was reportedly the only male on the field trip, which included four students.

Ross said in a statement, "This former teacher took advantage of her position of trust and the vulnerability of a minor, using her role to entice and lure this minor into engaging in unlawful sexual activity."

Hare will be sentenced at a later date and faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, as well as a minimum of five years of supervised release.

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• Former Bryant High School Teacher Pleads Guilty To Transportation Of A Minor To Engage In Illegal Sexual Activity - U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas