By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
A Livermore high school teacher has pleaded no contest to charges she had a six-month sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student which started through social networking. Marie Johnson, 42, now faces up to nine years and eight months in prison. She'll be sentenced on May 15. She will also have to register as a sex offender. She was arrested and booked on 24 counts of sexual assault charges in 2012. Authorities believe a sexual relationship started in December 2010 until May 2011, with most incidents taking place in the teacher's car.
The boy is said to be a former student of Johnson's, who has been a math teacher for 13 years, at Granada High School. She was charged with unlawful sexual intercourse with a person under 18, oral copulation and committing a lewd act on a child. But she entered a not guilty plea on Thursday in Alameda County Superior Court in Pleasanton. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the relationship between Johnson and the boy started through text messages, Facebook and instant messaging through the smart phone game, Words with Friends.
On January 10, 2012, the boy told a coach at his school that 'he was a victim of repeated molestation,' police Detective Joseph Draghi wrote in a statement. The boy, who is now 15, 'provided a detailed statement of a long-term sexual relationship with Johnson,' Draghi wrote. Police are advising parents to talk to their children about the episode. Police officer Steve Goard said: 'We don't think that there are other victims, but we're not ruling that out, being that she's a teacher and has had access to kids throughout the years.'
Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District Superintendent Kelly Bowers said Johnson was placed on administrative leave. She said: 'As always, while following due process guidelines, if we discover that any adult or staff member has placed a student at risk, we take appropriate, swift and decisive action. Safety of our students is our top priority.'
Johnson is being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin on $950,000 bail.
