A perverted school secretary’s admission of having sex with a student during recorded police interrogation could see the case dropped, a lead prosecutor has warned.
Police in Union City, Indiana, said earlier that Alicia Hughes, 31, was caught by her husband with an 18-year-old student, on Valentine’s Day. Hen then allegedly hit her, leading to police being called to the beatdown, who, while investigating the incident, discovered that Hughes had also had sex with another student, 17, on at least five occasions.
But cops’ decision to release a video of Hughes crying during questioning has raised concerns that she may not get a fair shake at trial.
“The latest release of the video interview with Ms. Hughes did not come from my office, and my office did not authorize, approve or have anything to do with its release,” Randolph County District Attorney David Daly said. He told the Muncie Star Press.
“At the time the video appeared in the media, my office did not have a copy or transcript of the interview,” Daly said, adding that he was “committed to obtaining a fair trial in this case” and avoiding “compromising” Hughes’ right to a fair trial.
Daly added that he is also “committed to seeking justice for the victims.”
During the two-minute questioning, Hughes discussed with a police officer the allegations that she had had sex with an 18-year-old, bursting into tears and suggesting she had slept with him three times.
When asked about possible sexual encounters with other students, Hughes remained silent.
“I’m going to need a lawyer here at this point,” she says, before she is handcuffed and placed under arrest on five counts of child enticement.
Union City Police defended their decision to share the video in a statement on Friday.
“Let me be clear, the Police Department did not request, nor was it required to obtain, approval from the District Attorney’s Office before publishing this brief excerpt,” Mark Ater, Union City Police Director of Public Safety, said in the statement.
“The release was lawful, thoughtful and intentional. The portion that was disclosed did not include any admission of criminal conduct,” Ater said, adding that Hughes did not admit to having sex with a minor.
“The management exercised restraint and ensured that no protected information was disclosed.”
Hughes, who was suspended from the Randolph Eastern School Corporation following her arrest last month, was booked into the Randolph County Jail on $25,000 bail.
Her trial date is scheduled for June 15. If found guilty, she faces up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine for each of the five counts.