Debra Lafave

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Mug shot of Debra Lafave

Debra Jean Beasley (born August 28, 1980) was a reading teacher at Angelo L. Greco Middle School in Temple Terrace, Florida when she was charged with several counts of having illegal sexual relations with a minor in 2005.

Investigating officers pursued the case after being notified by the victim's mother. Officers tape-recorded conversations between Debra and the 14-year old boy, then arrested Lafave at their next rendezvous. Compelling evidence was provided by the victim in the form of accurate and detailed descriptions of private characteristics of Lafave's body. One European newspaper published the boy's name and photo; legal action by his mother led to it being removed from the paper's website.

Because the illegal sexual activity occurred in two different counties, two separate sets of charges were filed. A trial date was set for December 5 at a court hearing after the prosecution and the defense could not agree on a plea bargain. The prosecution's plea deal involved prison time, which Debra and her parents found unacceptable. Debra's defense attorney caused a national stir that made headlines by remarking to the media that "To place Debbie into a Florida state women's penitentiary, to place an attractive young woman in that kind of hell hole, is like putting a piece of raw meat in with the lions." In a book written by her ex-husband Owen Lafave, he suggests that this statement was an intentional ploy by the attorney.^[1]

Owen Lafave's book reports that the Temple Terrace police ordered photographs be taken of Lafave's genital area while her feet were bound up in stirrups.

Shortly before the trial was scheduled to begin, the victim's mother, who had been insisting that Debra serve time in prison, learned that the trial was to be covered by Court TV and changed her stance, agreeing to a plea bargain with no prison time to prevent her son from having to testify in court. A new plea agreement was quickly worked out.

On November 22, 2005, Debra pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years of Community Control (house arrest) and seven years of probation, along with a string of other requirements.^{[citation needed]}

However, on December 8, 2005, the judge in the second county refused to accept plea-agreement terms that included no prison time, and set a trial date for April 10, 2006. In an unusual act, the prosecutor announced the charges were being dropped, in effect overruling the judge.

Lafave is serving probation until 2015 and her teaching certificate has been revoked.

Lafave attributed her indiscretions to bipolar disorder, which is associated with intense and irregular mood swings and with hypersexuality and poor judgment during manic episodes. [1] [2] [3]

On September 29, 2006, Backstreet Boy Nick Carter claimed on the Howard Stern show that he lost his virginity to Debra Lafave when they were classmates. [4]