A former Texas teacher that pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a former student will have until June of next year to report to jail, according to a judge.
Marka Bodine was sentenced to only 60 days in prison and ten years probation on Tuesday. Harris County Judge George Glass ruled that the former educator must also register as a sex offender and undergo therapy.
But despite the former Tomball ISD teacher’s sentence, she will remain free for now. Because she recently gave birth, Glass delayed Bodine’s sentence. She will not have to report to jail until June 5, 2023. The victim did not father Bodine’s baby.
Prosecutors had asked for 20 to 40 years in prison and were disappointed by the light sentence.
“There are certain types of cases that, in my opinion, really should only warrant punishment, and that is this kind of case,” Harris County Prosecutor Janna Oswald said in a statement to KPRC. “I’m heartbroken for the complainant and his family. I’m really disappointed in the outcome as a prosecutor — a child abuse prosecutor, and I’m disappointed as a citizen of Harris County.”
The former teacher was arrested in April of 2021 for continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 after complaining to her principal about the former student. She claimed the boy had been harassing her and that he had gained access to private photos of her that he manipulated.
The victim told police that Bodine befriended him while playing Fortnite. They eventually began texting back and forth and started having sex in April 2018, shortly after the boy’s 13th birthday. According to the victim, the abuse continued for more than two years.
