WATERTOWN, S.D. (KFGO) – A former teacher from Henry, South Dakota has been sentenced to two years in prison with one year suspended for sexual contact with a child under 18 by a person of authority.
Shanna Ries self-reported the incident in March and pleaded guilty to the class 6 felony in July. The incident involved a 16-year-old boy.
In exchange for the guilty plea, the prosecution dropped four other charges, including three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and a separate charge of sexual contact with a child under 18 by a person of authority.
The judge handling the case said the fact that Ries self-reported the crime factored into the sentencing decision.
Ries, a Lisbon, North Dakota native, had been teaching English Language Arts to middle and high school students. She submitted her resignation after being charged.
