BENTONVILLE -- A former Siloam Springs teacher has rejected all plea offers to resolve her criminal case concerning allegations she had sex with a 13-year-old boy.
Mary Faith McCormick, 33, is charged with rape, a Class Y felony. She's accused of engaging in intercourse with the boy between June 1 and July 31 in 2014. Her jury trial is scheduled to begin July 28.
About the case
Rape, a Class Y felony, normally is punishable with a prison sentence ranging from 10 to 40 years or life imprisonment. A conviction of raping a child 13 or younger carries a minimum sentence of 25 years.
Source: Staff Report
She appeared in court Wednesday afternoon for a hearing in the case. Circuit Judge Brad Karren wanted to know whether all plea offers had been relayed to McCormick.
Stuart Cearley, chief deputy prosecutor, told Karren he had given the offers to Joel Huggins, McCormick's attorney. Huggins said he talked with McCormick, about the offers.
Karren wanted to know if McCormick understood she was rejecting the offers and proceeding to trial. McCormick said she understood her case was headed for a trial.
Neither Cearley, Carly Marshall, deputy prosecutor, nor Huggins discussed the details of the plea offers.
McCormick, who was arrested Aug. 13, previously pleaded not guilty in the case. She is free on $50,000 bond.
Siloam Springs police began an investigation Aug. 8 after they received information accusing McCormick of engaging in sexual acts with the boy.
The boy told police he began to exchange messages with McCormick via SnapChat two weeks after the school year ended. The boy said McCormick sent him a photograph of her breasts and he sent a photo of himself to her, according the affidavit.
SnapChat is an electronic application allowing users to send photos and videos that disappear after a specified time, usually seconds, once the recipient views them.
The boy told police he had two sexual encounters with McCormick.
McCormick was a sixth-grade language arts teacher at Siloam Springs Intermediate School. She was suspended with pay after her arrest, then resigned.
"I am facing very serious charges," McCormick stated in her resignation letter. "I am not guilty of those accusations and intend to prove my innocence. Once I am able to do that, I hope to continue to teach. Thank you for the privilege you have given me to teach in your school district the last three years."
A suppression hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. July 16.
Sports on 06/28/2015