A former special education teacher in Minnesota has been sentenced to six months in prison for having a sexual relationship with a teenage student. Ann Margaret Bacon, 27, pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a prohibited occupational relationship, according to The Pioneer Press.
Relationship began while teacher worked at school
Bacon admitted to being in a relationship with an unnamed 18-year-old male student while working at Tartan High School in 2023. She had started working at the school the year before. Police began investigating her in 2024 after an accusation that she had sex with one of her teenage students.
Initially, Bacon told police that she had sex with the teen after he graduated. However, when photos emerged of the pair staying at a hotel the previous summer, she reportedly changed her story.
Hotel bookings and alcohol purchases detailed
Police confirmed that Bacon made three bookings at a Vadnais Heights hotel in 2023 on May 8, June 4, June 11, and July 4. During the investigation, police heard how her teenage victim had been "acting secretly" to spend time with his teacher and that she had purchased alcohol for him.
Witnesses also told police that the pair exchanged sexually explicit messages and that Bacon had sent the student X-rated pictures on her phone, including some from their time at the hotel.
Sentencing and probation
Bacon's teenage victim told police that the pair first had sex in her car in July 2023, after he graduated. He also said they were still in a relationship and that he had been staying at her apartment. However, Bacon admitted during an interview that their sexual relationship had ended in July 2023 and that they were now just friends.
She also acknowledged receiving a request on the payment app Venmo for $40 worth of "liqq," though she reportedly told police she could not remember where or when this had originated. As part of her guilty plea deal, Bacon received a reduced sentence and a less serious criminal conviction. The judge awarded her an 180-day sentence followed by two years of supervised probation.
