November 22, 2024 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Ex-Marlborough School Teacher Guilty of Sexual Relationship With Two Female Students

(Thinkstock)
(Thinkstock)

A former English teacher turned himself in today to begin serving a jail sentence for having sexual relationships with two female students, one of whom became pregnant, while working at the private Hancock Park all-girls Marlborough School.

Joseph Thomas Koetters, 48, of Santa Monica, was sentenced to a year in county jail last month on charges that he engaged in sex acts with two 16-year- old girls more than a decade ago. Koetters was accused of abusing one of the high school students in 2000 and another in 2004.

Koetters was charged with 14 sex abuse counts and faced up to 11 years behind bars, but in a deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to four counts.

As part of his sentence, Koetters was required to register as a sex offender and complete at least one year of sex offender therapy.

In addition, he was placed on five years of probation, during which he is barred from teaching or being with any female minor under the age of 18, except his daughter.

“Please take care of yourself, OK?” Judge Robert C. Vanderet said before ordering Koetters into custody.

The victims have filed a lawsuit against Koetters and Marlborough School.

One of the women told the judge at the Oct. 21 plea and sentencing hearing that Koetters — then her 11th grade English teacher at Marlborough — “systematically lured me into a yearlong sexual relationship” in 2000.

“Over the course of several months, Mr. Koetters succeeded in convincing me that I was different, that our bond was special, that we owed it to ourselves as humans to ignore society’s norms and take things to the next level,” she said.

The victim, who was identified in court only as “Jane Doe 1,” said the relationship eventually “imploded,” and she found out she was pregnant in a dirty restroom at a fast-food restaurant.

She ultimately miscarried, “alone, terrified and in excruciating pain,” and the relationship ended, leaving her shattered and with an “intense hatred for myself that haunts me to this day.”

She said she had “never planned to come forward with my story,” but seeing an essay written about Koetters “triggered in me an unrelenting drive to protect other girls at all costs.”

The woman told the court last month that the conclusion of the court case “isn’t an ending at all” for her.

“I would be remiss if I tried to frame the situation as anything other than what it is for me. It is raw. It is hideous. It is agonizing. And I will live with it for the rest of my life.”

Vanderet responded, “I’m so sorry for the hell you’ve gone through.”

Related Posts

Video Shows Officer-Involved Shooting Outside SMPD Station

November 22, 2024

November 22, 2024

Officials Have Issued a Viewer Advisory, Cautioning That the Material May Be Distressing The Santa Monica Police Department has released...

Donate Blood and Save Lives at Culver City Fire Station This Weekend

November 22, 2024

November 22, 2024

Get a T-Shirt, Gift Card for Participating in the Cedars-Sinai Blood Drive The Culver City Rotary Club, in collaboration with...

LAPD Motorcycle Officer Hospitalized After 405 Freeway Crash in Sepulveda Pass

November 21, 2024

November 21, 2024

Collision Near Skirball Center DrivePossibly Involving a Tesla Caused Major Traffic  The 405 Freeway was the scene of a motorcycle...

Santa Monica Police Release Body Cam Footage of Deadly Force Incident Outside Headquarters

November 21, 2024

November 21, 2024

Graphic Video Shows a Violent Assault on an SMPD Officer by a Knife-Wielding Suspect The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD)...

Breakaway Café Opens New Venice Location with Beachside Grab-and-Go Window

November 20, 2024

November 20, 2024

Bayse Brothers Bring Their Signature Breakfast Dishes and Good Vibes to Venice Breakaway Café, a popular breakfast and lunch eatery...

Last Minute Additions to the Best Thanksgiving 2024 Feasts and Pies To Go

November 20, 2024

November 20, 2024

If Other Faves are Sold Out, Here’s All The Quality Places to Try Now Celebrity chefs Susan Feniger and Mary...

Everytable’s Holiday Meal Collaboration To Support LA’s Unhoused Youth

November 20, 2024

November 20, 2024

Chef Created Thanksgiving Meal Benefits My Friend’s Place. Everytable, the mission-driven company committed to making scratch-cooked, nutritious meals accessible to...

Los Angeles City Council Codifies Sanctuary Protections for Migrants with New Citywide Ordinance

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

Mayor Bass Prioritized the Ordinance after Trump’s Mass Deportation Threats The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to officially...

The Palms Community Council’s Executive Committee Schedules Special Meeting for Nov. 20

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

Meeting to Address Open Board Positions and Committee Updates The Executive Committee will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, Nov....

Hammer Museum Presents 10th Edition of MoMA Contenders: Screenings, Conversations with Top Filmmakers

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

Lineup Features Films by Steve McQueen, Sean Baker, and Brady Corbett The Hammer Museum will host the 10th edition of...

Film Review: Wicked

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

By Dolores Quintana Director John Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In The Heights) has crafted an effervescent take on the blockbuster...

Randy’s Donuts Arrives in Culver City with Free Donuts and a $250 Gift Card Giveaway

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

Grand Opening on November 19 Includes Sweet Giveaways Starting at 6:00 a.m. The time is finally here. Randy’s Donuts is...

Nicole Nagel’s Futuristic Eric Moss Designed Brentwood Home To Hit Auction Block

November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

The Spaceship-Like Property Heads to Auction With No Reserve in December German actress Nicole Nagel, who was part of the...

LA Controller Kenneth Meija: City Left $513 Million of Homelessness Budget Unspent

November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

Inefficiencies Blamed for Underspending Despite Record Allocation in FY2024  The City of Los Angeles hasn’t spent over half of its...

West LA College Expands Zero-Cost Textbook Programs with $600K Grant

November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

College Aims for 50 Zero-Cost Textbook Programs by 2025  West Los Angeles College (West) is expanding its zero-cost textbook program...