Teacher Who Left Wife For Teen Student Jailed For Sexual Abuse

[Mega Ultra]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/page/3/

Video at link

A teacher from a high school in Modesto has resigned, left his wife and moved in with his girlfriend, an 18-year-old student.

The Enochs High School teacher and the student said they did not have a physical relationship until the day the girl turned 18. The girl's mother said she has proof that their relationship began sooner. She said she has text messages, phone records and a police report to help build her case.

So far, no arrests have been made. Investigators are trying to figure out whether or not the teacher had inappropriate contact with the student when she was underage.

The teacher, James Hooker, has left his wife and children. He has a daughter who is a junior at Enochs High School.

In an interview with the Modesto Bee, Hooker said, "In making our choice, we've hurt a lot of people. We keep asking ourselves, 'Do we make everyone else happy or do we follow our hearts?' "

The paper reported that the girl's mother has waged a public campaign on Facebook since her daughter moved in with Hooker last week.

From another source (picture at this link):

http://www.modbee.com/2012/02/28/209...gns-after.html

Powers said her first inkling that her daughter was involved with her teacher came Jan. 16, during her young son's trip to the emergency room. Hooker came to the hospital with her daughter, who left her phone with an older sister.

The sister, suspicious, found dozens of text messages from Hooker. Powers said when she confronted her daughter, she denied any romance existed. Still worried, Powers contacted Modesto police detectives the next day.

Looking back over phone records, she said she found an estimated 8,000 text messages between the teacher and student going back through the summer. In the fall, about 32 texts a day, starting at 6 a.m. were recorded, she said.

School officials contacted her about a week later with concerns, she said. Discussions between police, school and the family continued for another week, ending with Hooker's suspension Feb. 3.

At that point, Powers said, she was assured by school officials that Hooker would stay away, and her daughter said she was done with Hooker.

"She promised me they didn't have contact. I didn't know until last week there was a sexual relationship. We didn't see any of it," Powers said.

Jordan Powers' father died in 2001. Tammie Powers is engaged, and her fiancé and one of his children live with them, along with Jordan's younger brother. The mother said her fiancé "is horrified, but he's not going to fight with him."

On Facebook, Powers has called Hooker "an arrogant pervert," among other things, and urged readers to "help get the word out" about his involvement with a student.

The hundreds of responses are, for the most part, supportive of her. Many express disbelief.

His poor daughter must be humiliated. No physical relationship before she turned 18? Give me a break. I hope mom is able to prove that their relationship started sooner.

[princessgrandma]

Yeah, I'm calling total bullshit on the story about their not having a physical relationship until after she turned 18.

I think we all went through a phase where we had a crush on a teacher at some time in our school days, but if there had been anymore to it, I know my parents would have killed him, then killed me for just being.

[Ninja0980]

Even if she was at the age of consent in this case, he could still be charged,as there are excepations made when the person has a position of authority over a teen,such as being a teacher.

[Silvahalo]

Was about to post this in PW.
VIDEO HERE. . . see what you think.

[...]
I'm going to leave the legal issues up to the police here -- who are investigating, by the way, in no small part because
Jordan's mom unearthed 8,000 text messages, late-night phone calls, and email exchanges that took place when she was still a minor. I'm not even going to challenge how a
41-year-old married father (yeah, I know) could fall in love with a teenage student. The heart wants what the heart wants.I want to talk about responsibility here, and Hooker's apparent lack thereof. An adult would have gotten a handle on his emotions and, very simply, waited. Told his heart to STFU while he waited for Jordan to graduate from high school before showing her even the smallest hint of his affections.By doing that, he could have avoided all of this. He wouldn't be a one-time educator shacking up with a girl who has dropped out of school -- something that would make the toes curl on any teacher I know. He wouldn't be facing a police investigation. And he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his life asking himself, "Hey, did I use my undue influence of my position of authority to make her fall for me?"

[...]
Jeanne Sager w/ Cafe Mom

I immediately thought about my HS gymnastic coach who everyone knew was sweet on one of the girls on our team. We giggle and laughed about it, thought it kinda weird, even romantic but not altogether wrong. That was then and I was 15 going on 16. We all liked "coach", nice guy, very supportive as a "dad" or "uncle" type and never do I remember an inappropriate touch or look from him. I think they had real feelings for one another and it was rumor they married right after said team mate graduated.
Wrong. oh, yeah. But funny how my mind then didn't really see it that way and the reason I feel strongly this adult abused his position of influence and power.

As a parent today--like hell no.

[VAS1326]

I don't mean to sound like a bitch here but where was mom when she was texting this man 4 hours a night or e-mailing and talking on the phone with him??? I mean is it only a problem for the mom now that her princess left school and moved out of the house. 8000 text messages from the same number and she is not at all curious prior to that what is going on? I would be like who the Hell are you texting this much? Are you trying to tell me her mom who probably paid the bill didn't notice this was going on before September? I mean if it had been going on for years why did it take her mother so long to do something about it? You can't control your 18 year old but you sure in the Hell can stop your minor child from taking part in this relationship.

I do agree the teacher should know better then to take up with a student period.....so yes I do think he was wrong for even remotely allowing anything to happen before she was out of the school (after she graduated) I just wonder why this mother did nothing when her child was a minor.

[malq]

My thoughts are it is what it is. This is a moral issue, not a legal one. She is 18 and legal. He is 41. There is nothing anyone can do to stop it. There is no proof he groomed her or had sex with her when she was a minor, although it is blatantly obvious he at least groomed her. As long as she stays tightlipped his ass will stay out of jail. I will say one thing, he is serious about it. He left everything for her. This is no tryst.

My prediction is this young girl will get tired of the father figure, or he will get tired of dealing with a teenager. When that happens all hell will break loose. She will throw him under the bus faster than you can blink. He will get arrested and we will be posting here again. I just hope she doesn't get pregnant before she figures it out.

[Obsolete]

I don't mean to sound like a bitch here but where was mom when she was texting this man 4 hours a night or e-mailing and talking on the phone with him??? I mean is it only a problem for the mom now that her princess left school and moved out of the house. 8000 text messages from the same number and she is not at all curious prior to that what is going on? I would be like who the Hell are you texting this much? Are you trying to tell me her mom who probably paid the bill didn't notice this was going on before September? I mean if it had been going on for years why did it take her mother so long to do something about it? You can't control your 18 year old but you sure in the Hell can stop your minor child from taking part in this relationship.

I do agree the teacher should know better then to take up with a student period.....so yes I do think he was wrong for even remotely allowing anything to happen before she was out of the school (after she graduated) I just wonder why this mother did nothing when her child was a minor.

Give me a break. The girl was 17/18, why would her mom be concerned with who she is texting? Isn't it normal for teens to text 24 hrs a day. Text messages don't show up on a phone bill so how would mom know who she was texting?

[Morbid]

Modesto, California – A California teacher who made national headlines for leaving his wife and three children for a teen student, has been accused of sexually abusing a different teenage girl that he taught in 1998. Jordan Powers, 18, quit school to move in with her teacher James Hooker, 41, has now dumped him following his arrest for alleged sexual misconduct with another student in 1998. Jordan, who last February defended their odd pairing on national news, now fears there may be more students “My heart dropped. I felt betrayed. I just have a gut feeling there are other girls,” Powers said, according to the ABC News interview. She went on to say, “He called me from jail and, yes, I told him that we’re done. I lost everything for this guy. I lost my senior year. I gave up all my friends at high school because they didn’t agree with me.” Jordan’s mother, Tammie Powers, is pushing for a bill in California that would make it a felony for a public school teacher to date a student in the same school, regardless of age, even if the student is 18. Currently, 23 states now have a law forbidding teachers to date students regardless of age. The bill will also include making it illegal to send any sexual based texts, letters or any other form of communication. Jordan and Hooker have maintained that their love wasn’t consummated until after Jordan turned 18, however her mother has uncovered over 8,000 texts between the two spanning back to when Jordan was a minor. There were also many late night phone calls and emails between the two. Tammie had an opportunity to confront Hooker on Dr, Phil last month and accused him of “brainwashing” her child. This sentiment I’ve seen echoed over many websites and blogs while researching this article. Many have called him a predator and accused him of grooming his students. Hooker now has a $50,0000 bail, a public defender and a hearing on Tuesday in hopes of reducing his bail amount. With all the publicity and the creepy old man factor involved, I doubt that he will get it. Let’s recap. Since the second month of this year, Hooker has lost his wife and children, his job, has been arrested for fiddling a teen fourteen years ago and lost his teen live-in girlfriend along with the remains of any dignityKeep Reading...
This article is from The Dreamin' Demon, the Internet's self-appointed buzzkill.


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