Ex-teacher gets 5 years for sex with teen
By Andy Paras
Tracy Lee Judy faced a maximum of 20 years in prison.
WALTERBORO — A former Colleton County schoolteacher who tried to kill himself on the eve of his trial on sexual misconduct charges was sentenced to five years in prison Monday.
Tracy Lee Judy, 38, pleaded guilty to criminal solicitation of a minor and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor during an emotional hearing that included testimony from the 15-year-old victim and her father.
Circuit Judge Perry Buckner sentenced Judy to five years in prison and two years probation upon completion of the prison sentence. He also will be on the sex offender registry for life.
He faced a maximum of 20 years, said Heather Strickland, spokeswoman for the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office. She said the solicitor asked for 10 years, while Judy's attorney, Michael Sean O'Neal, asked for probation.
O'Neal could not be reached for comment.
Judy admitted during the hearing to having sex with the girl, who was 14 at the time, and said he knew what he did was wrong, Strickland said.
Previous story
Man pens note, tries to kill self, published 05/14/09
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The victim asked the judge not to give him the maximum sentence because he was a nice man. Her father then told the judge that his daughter was emotionally and psychologically scarred and that Judy had a power over her, Strickland said.
Several of Judy's friends and family members spoke on his behalf, she said.
Judy tried to kill himself by overdosing on painkillers on May 10, the night before his trial was to begin. In a four-page suicide note, Judy described himself as a mentally ill Gulf War veteran struggling with "panic anxiety disorder, depression, agoraphobia and other undetermined social disorders."
As part of his sentence, Judy must receive counseling through Veterans Affairs, Strickland said.
Reach Andy Paras at 937-5589 or aparas@postandcourier.com.
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10216340 (anonymous) says...
5 years is not nearly enough time for this scum-of-the-earth lowlife to be in prison. He should have gotten at least double that.
June 3, 2009 at 6:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AFWally (anonymous) says...
Well, now he'll be "struggling" with Bubba when lights go out each night
June 3, 2009 at 8:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
abitskeptical (anonymous) says...
He got 5 yrs as a "reward" for pleading. The system is a joke...a very bad one, but a joke nonetheless.
June 3, 2009 at 8:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
soosad (anonymous) says...
I believe he is def wrong for what he did and he should pay the price but when are we going to realize these little girls are partially to blame. It dont say he forced her. Even though she was only 14 she was old enough to know what she was doing. I hope she gets the help she needs too.
June 3, 2009 at 9:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fred_durst1 (anonymous) says...
soosad -
Are you on crack? The 14 year old was parially to blame????? A 38 year old grown man rapes a 14 year old CHILD and you say the child is partially to blame.
June 3, 2009 at 9:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
abitskeptical (anonymous) says...
The law says that she does not "know" what she is doing. The law says that in a case like this she is not to blame one iota. In fact, this man was not just any adult committing a crime against a minor, he was an adult in a position of authority committing a crime against one of his "charges". This adds "insult" to the already horrendous injury.
(Of course it is not that simple, but that' the general gist)
June 3, 2009 at 9:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
abitskeptical (anonymous) says...
soosad-the operative words, which even you used in your post, are "little girls".
June 3, 2009 at 9:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KidYendor (anonymous) says...
Too bad he did not get actor Peter Lawford's machine to use instead of chasing 14 year olds. He might still be free.
June 3, 2009 at 11:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
UrGatorbait (anonymous) says...
He's fortunate not to get the full 20.
I see some here are obsessed with prison sex and obsession with little girls. Then again I remember where I am and its not surprising.
June 3, 2009 at 1:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JustJennings (anonymous) says...
Everything I have read leads me to believe she was a willing partner and actively seeked sex by going over to his house. He was wrong to do it, but I have heard no allegations that force was used. It sounds to me that bad parenting of the girl is as much to blame as a horny guy.
June 3, 2009 at 2:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
abitskeptical (anonymous) says...
The actions of this man are in no way mitigated or justified by the actions of the girl or her parents.
The man is responsible for his horrendous decision & actions. Period.
Even if the 14 yr old student got naked & threw herself at him, he had a moral &, more importantly in this case--legal duty & responsibility not to engage in sexual activity with her.
He does not "share" the blame with the girl's parents for this situation. They very well might be bad parents, but their bad parenting is not the cause, even in the teeniest bit, of his criminal behavior.
June 3, 2009 at 3:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
Blaming the 'victim' eh?
I guess if you wear a short skirt you deserve to raped as well?
It doesn't matter what the provocation, the ADULT chose to engage in sexual behavior with a MINOR.
As abit mentioned, she could have done a striptease in front him and he would not have been less guilty.
He KNEW her age and status and manipulated the situation to feed his desires.
Well JustJennings, I guess the children who worshipped in the Catholic church and returned every week, every year to the same church and priest deserved what they got?
Regardless of how 'fast/sexually mature' a young person may be, the authority figure SHOULD know better.
He deserved more than 5 years if for no other reason than to hopefully be a deterrent to others like him.
June 3, 2009 at 4:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sardis12 (anonymous) says...
Is everything about Obama? He's doing a great job, given what he was left to work with by his pathetic predecessor.
As far as the teacher and the 14 year-old, they should have stuck with oral sex, since that's not really sex, as we found out during the Clinton years...
June 3, 2009 at 6:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JustJennings (anonymous) says...
I never said any child who was truly mosted diserved it. I said that I thought she was a willing participant, and I said he should have resisted temptation. I wonder how many of these people that think 5 years was too little have bothered to speak up about the children RAPED by the U. S. military in Iraq! I bet this Antonio Aiken guy who was a guard having sex with prisoners at the jail got less than 5 years!
June 5, 2009 at 3:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JustJennings (anonymous) says...
typos!
mosted should be molested
diserved should be deserved
June 5, 2009 at 3:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
vmirat90 (anonymous) says...
Just, I cannot agree with you this one. The only way I could sympathize with him would be if she were say 16 or 17, lied to him about her age (saying she was 18 or older), and he got busted. However, he apparently knew her age. Too bad, so sad. Make sure you sleep on your back tonight.
June 5, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JustJennings (anonymous) says...
I do not agree with what he did. There can be no doubt that it was wrong and illegal. I just object to portraying the girl as an innocent child.
June 6, 2009 at 11:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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