A married Ohio mom and teacher has pleaded guilty to 21 sex charges involving a schoolgirl she began abusing when the child was just 13.
Stefanie Erin Kellenberger, a 40-year-old sixth-grade English instructor, sexually abused the girl at her home in Shelby over 18 months, according to Richland County Common Pleas Judge Brent Robinson.
The pedophile pleaded guilty for all four counts of third-degree felony sexual battery and 17 counts of third-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a court docket from Richland County Common Pleas Court shows.
Kellenberger was presented with two options by prosecutors for her crimes: either 12 years flat prison time or 15 years with the possibility of judicial release after 10 years.
She opted for the second option when she pleaded guilty in court Friday, court papers show.
At the time the abuse started in February 2020, Kellenberger’s victim was just 13 years old, with the teacher starting to have sex with the girl after she turned 14 and continuing until she turned 16, Richland County Assistant Prosecutor Bryan Dove told the judge.
“The relationship continued until the age of consent,” Dove said, according to the Mansfield News Journal.
Judge Robinson noted, “Which, in the state of Ohio, is 16 years old.”
Kellenberger’s crimes continued until October 2021, Robinson said.
Kellenberger’s lawyer, James Mayer III, told the judge, “Consent was never an issue in this case. It’s an age thing.”
Robinson asked the prosecutor, “So the state is saying there was no use of force?”
The ADA replied, “Correct, Your Honor. No use of force.”
Kellenberger, who taught sixth-grade English and language arts at Shelby City Schools at the time of her crimes, was put on paid administrative leave in February 2024 after her abuse came to light.
She was indicted in September and resigned the next month, although a profile with her name and picture was still active on the Shelby City Schools website as of Monday.
Her Instagram account, where she describes herself as a “wife, mom, teacher,” is still active.
Kellenberger’s victim recommended that the former teacher spend three years in jail, but the judge said that sentence was too short.
“The victim is relieved to not have to testify. That’s why we entered into this agreement with the defendant,” Dove told the judge.
As part of Kellenberger’s plea deal, she will be subject to five years post-release control after prison and must register with the county sheriff as a Tier 3 sex offender, or the most serious, every 90 days for the rest of her life.
She must also remain under electronic monitoring until her sentencing Oct. 6, have no contact with minors, avoid further criminal conduct and forever forfeit her teaching license.
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