Ex-Timberlane teacher sentenced in teen sex case

From the Eagle Tribune;

Ex-Timberlane teacher sentenced in teen sex case


A former Timberlane Regional High School teacher received a 12-month suspended sentence yesterday as part of a plea agreement in which he admitted to having sex with a 16-year-old student.

Kevin Goddu, 46, of Chelmsford, Mass., avoided jail time by pleading guilty to two misdemeanor assault charges in Hillsborough County Superior Court in Nashua.

Goddu, who has been free on bail, is prohibited from teaching in New Hampshire. He must undergo sex offender evaluation and receive any recommended treatment, but will not have to register as a sex offender nor report to a probation officer as part of the plea agreement reached in April.

The 12-year Timberlane social studies teacher was tried on 14 counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault in November, a trial that ended with a hung jury. Each charge carried a potential sentence of 10 to 20 years in jail and a $4,000 fine.

Testimony at the trial revealed that Goddu and the female student were involved in an intimate relationship. Evidence presented at trial, including e-mails and telephone records, showed the two had sex at Goddu's brother's home.

But the prosecution was unable to convince jurors that Goddu used force and violence to convince the girl to engage in sex.

Goddu was suspended from his job at the Plaistow high school in March 2007, after allegations of inappropriate conduct arose. He resigned voluntarily on April 5, 2007.

Assistant County Attorney Patricia LaFrance said in April that the state agreed to remove reference to the sexual acts from the charges.

The girl and her parents expected to attend yesterday's hearing, LaFrance said, but could not because of illness. Instead, she read statements from the teen and her family in court.

"She is a remarkable young woman," LaFrance told Judge William Groff. "I wish she was here so I could tell her how much I admire her."

The family wrote of their anger over Goddu's violation of their trust. They also wrote they were upset by the reaction of some students and families who blamed the girl for Goddu losing his job.

"Our daughter's stellar reputation has been dragged through the mud as if we are still living in the 1950s," her parents wrote. "We have experienced some of the worst of human nature."

They described Goddu as "despicable," "narcissistic" and "evil," as well as a disgrace to his profession.

The teen suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and her once outstanding performance in school has suffered, she and her parents wrote.

"Growing up, I was always taught that I should be able to trust my teachers," the girl wrote. "However, this teacher crushed the boundary between teacher and student. I was like his puppet. I lost everything that I was."

Andrew Wolfe of the Nashua Telegraph contributed to this report.