NEWS

Tampa teacher LaFave allowed to have contact with children

The Associated Press

In a Jan. 10, 2008 photo, former school teacher Debra Lafave arrives for a probation violation hearing at the Hillsborough County Courthouse in Tampa, Fla. LaFave is seeking a change in her probation. The former Tampa-area teacher who made national headlines for alleged sex with a 14-year-old student is serving seven years probation. This week, she filed a court motion asking for supervised contact with the children of her family and friends. A hearing on the notion was scheduled Thursday. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)

A judge has allowed former teacher and sex offender Debra Lafave to have contact with the children of family and friends.

Lafave is the former middle-school teacher who pleaded guilty to having sex with a 14-year-old boy. She served 2 1/2 years of house arrest but is still on sex-offender probation.

After a hearing Thursday, Circuit Judge Wayne Timmerman said that because Lafave has completed sex-offender therapy, state law allows her "appropriate" unsupervised contact with minors. Prosecutors did not object.

Lafave still isn't allowed to live near a school or work with children.

Her attorney called it "a good step forward." Lafave did not comment.