f13.net

Oct. 19, 2004, while substituting for a seventh-grade language class at Kelly Middle School, Amero claimed she could not control the graphic images appearing in an endless cycle on her computer.

"The pop-ups never went away," Amero testified. "They were continuous."

The Web sites, which police proved were accessed while Amero was in the classroom, were seen by as many as 10 minor students. Several of the students testified during the three-day trial in Norwich Superior Court to seeing images of naked men and women.

Computer expert W. Herbert Horner, testifying in Amero's defense, said he found spyware on the computer and an innocent hair styling Web site "that led to this pornographic loop that was out of control."

"If you try to get out of it, you're trapped," Horner said.

But Smith countered Horner's testimony with that of Norwich Police Detective Mark Lounsbury, a computer crimes investigator. On a projected image of the list of Web sites visited while Amero was working, Lounsbury pointed out several highlighted links.

"You have to physically click on it to get to those sites," Smith said. "I think the evidence is overwhelming that she did intend to access those Web sites."

Among the sites Amero visited were meetlovers.com and femalesexual.com, along with others with more graphic names.

Defense attorney John Cocheo moved for a mistrial shortly before closing arguments Friday, based on reports jurors had discussed the case while eating lunch at the Harp and Dragon. Each of the jurors denied the allegation under questioning by Judge Hillary Strackbein and the motion was denied.

On a projected image of the list of Web sites visited while Amero was working, Lounsbury pointed out several highlighted links.
"You have to physically click on it to get to those sites," Smith said. "I think the evidence is overwhelming that she did intend to access those Web sites."

What a joke. None of these people has ever encountered spyware? Geez.

Politics.

She handled it poorly if the children got to see it. The second one of those popped up the computer should have been removed from the reach of children until some techie cleaned up the system. She also shouldn't have been browsing anything even remotely likely to do that sort of thing to a school computer. I'd say she definately needs a slap upside the head and to be dealt with by the board of education, or whatever you guys have there, but jail time (and even firing) is way excessive.

Also 40 years in prison for "risk of injury to a minor, or impairing the morals of a child."? WTF? That is inane. The US has crossed the line from sensible legislation to utter stupidity when sex and protection of minors is concerned.

HAha the world is fucked up.

I changed all the default web pages of our school PCs to porn sites one day when I was bored in our "library" class. I sure as help no one got fired for that.

Stupid puritans.

Weird case. But as pointed out above, the 40 years is a stretch. Even if convicted of all, she is likely to get 4 counts of 1-10 running concurrently.  Depending on whether they have a "no probation for felonies" policy in CT, she will likely just get probation or serve something like 7 months in jail.

Translated:  "Unf. Unf. Unf.  I am so l33t and was super cool when I was in high school.  And by, 'when I was,' I mean yesterday, at noon."

The thing I really don't get about this story, is why she didn't just do what I would do - press the power button/switch it off at the wall/yank the cord, and go right to the principal and tell them WTF happened. Yes, the principal first before whoever does the school's tech, because covering your own arse to authority/your superiors takes priority over a shitty school PC.

They should put this woman away.  For the rest of her life.  She's lucky she's not getting the needle for what she did.

Bitch.

Green text is for n00bs.  Sarcasm should be subtle.  Like beige.

I don't understand!  What are you trying to say to me?!?