Married teacher in US 'told pupil she'd leave husband for him when he turned 18'

A married teacher who admitted to having sex with an underage pupil in her classroom told him she would leave her husband for him when he turned 18, according to court documents. Heather Mashburn-Smith, 37, gave a confession about having sex with the boy while admitting she knew he was "just a teenager," an affidavit said. She began chatting with the 17-year-old student via Snapchat after he told her she was "pretty." The teenager then arrived at Mashburn-Smith's classroom where they went on to kiss and have sex twice, the documents stated. During the illicit encounters, the teacher said she wanted to eave her husband when he turned 18 - the legal age of consent in Florida. The boy became concerned and stopped chatting to Mashburn-Smith and blocked her. She continued to message him on Snapchat, it was heard. Mashburn-Smith then admitted the encounters to police, claiming she "made a mistake," the docs added. She reportedly then claimed the pupil made her feel desired. The teacher has since been charged with unlawful sexual activity with minors. Under Florida law this could carry a sentence of 30 years in prison. Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell said: "What this woman has done is not just unlawful, it is damaging to the students and staff around her." She was also suspended from the school, the district added. Charlotte County Public Schools Superintendent Mark Vianello later said in a statement: "The actions of this individual are a direct violation of the duty every educator owes to students and families. We will not tolerate anything that compromises student safety. This individual has been placed on administrative leave as we work closely with law enforcement and pursue full accountability." It is one of several instances where a married teacher in the US has been accused of having sex with an underage pupil. Teacher Nicole Hernandez, 30, who is also known as Nikki Baird, is alleged to have groomed the boy she met at a middle school in Kansas. They later met again at Wichita North High School where Hernandez befriended the teen and reportedly "isolated him from others." She was allegedly "touching or rubbing" the pupil's back or shoulders before she forced him to give her hugs, an affidavit said. The affidavit then claimed the teacher started having sex with the teen in early 2024.