James Dwight of Eldridge Road pleaded guilty in a Pennsylvania court this week to two charges of having had sexual contact with a minor nine years ago and was sentenced to five years’ probation.
The sentence was handed down by Judge David Ashworth of the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas on Monday morning, Oct. 26, for a 2006 incident in Dwight’s home involving a 17-year-old student from Lancaster Catholic High School, where Dwight was then a teacher of English.
Under the terms of the plea bargain offered by prosecuting attorney Karen Mansfield and agreed to by Dwight, he is to serve five years’ probation under the supervision of a court officer in Massachusetts. He is to have no contact with the victim, and according to court spokesperson Brett Hambright, Dwight must also pay a $100 fine and expenses incurred by the victim for counseling.
In a statement to the Press, School Superintendent Linda Dwight said her family had been through a difficult time and was relieved that the matter was resolved.
“Several factors led to my husband’s decision to enter a plea in the case,” she wrote. “Those factors include the passage of time from the events in question and the national climate affecting his ability to defend himself at trial where, despite the presumption of innocence, it would be very difficult to find an impartial jury and get a fair trial. We believe it is time for our family to heal and move forward. As the matter is closed, I will have no further comment.”
Dwight was arrested in Harvard eight months ago and charged with two counts of corrupting a minor. Both are misdemeanors and are not considered sex crimes under Pennsylvania law. As a result, Megan’s Law does not apply, and Dwight is not required to register as a sex offender. Megan’s Law is the name for a federal law and the informal name for subsequent state laws in the United States requiring law enforcement authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders. Although the age of consent in Pennsylvania is 16, the victim was 17 at the time, still a minor.
