A Kentucky teacher who admitted to sexually abusing multiple minors simultaneously may face a potential life sentence in prison.
Last week, Ellen Phillips from Danville, Kentucky, pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to entice a minor into engaging in sexual conduct online. In December 2022, Phillips admitted to communicating with a 15-year-old boy via Facebook with the intent of involving him in sexual activity.
Phillips confessed to persistently trying to persuade the minor to sneak out of his home for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity, despite the child’s hesitation, as outlined in the statement. She continued her attempts, even enticing him with the promise of alcohol and oral sex, all while providing suggestions on excuses he could use with his mother to leave the house.
Furthermore, Phillips used various means of communication, including Snapchat, Facebook, and text messages, to arrange meetings with her other victims for sexual purposes. A mother of one of the victims, who preferred to remain anonymous, disclosed that she had attended high school with Phillips, and their children had grown up together.
“These boys are not aware of the laws that protect them and would not come forward because they thought they would be in trouble,” the woman said.
Phillips was arrested in April 2023 after two minors came forward, alleging that she had raped them on three separate occasions when they were both 16 years old. Initially, Phillips was charged in state court, and she currently faces multiple charges of third-degree sodomy and third-degree rape in Boyle, Garrard, and Rockcastle counties. If convicted, she could potentially receive a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
