She has been jailed for four years. (Image: Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office)
A teacher who sexually assaulted a 16-year-old pupil with special educational needs and ordered him to bring a gun into school to shoot a colleague has been jailed for four years. Imagine Kay Ewer, 28, was involved in “frequent sexual encounters” with the vulnerable youngster over several weeks.
Ewer abused her position of trust, manipulating the boy for cash and convincing him that he was “the one”. She also inundated the student with relentless text messages, pressuring him to carry a firearm not only to their rendezvous but also into the school with instructions to target another teacher’s leg.
The shocking affair emerged after another member of staff at the Lakewood, Colorado, school spotted “inappropriate writing” on the student’s worksheet and notified the authorities.
Last month, Ewer was handed her sentence following a guilty plea for sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in the first degree. Three other felony counts and one misdemeanour charge were dismissed in the plea agreement.
During the sentencing, the victim’s mother conveyed to the court the severe toll Ewer’s actions had taken on her son, saying: “The defendant preyed on my son, leading him to believe she genuinely cared for him, all while exploiting him for money and manipulating him into thinking he was ‘the one’.”
“What makes this even more painful is that I trusted the defendant. Had I known what was truly happening, I would never have allowed her such close access to him.”
Ewer is now listed on the Sex Offenders Register for a term between 10 years and life, with the exact timescale to be set by probation post-release from her prison sentence due to end in 2029, PEOPLE reports. Police detection of Ewer’s “favouritism” towards her victim was almost instantaneous during their investigations initiated in late 2023.
The forbidden relationship with her pupil commenced in September and was curtailed swiftly in November when another teacher raised alarms. Police discovery included “evidence of frequent sexual encounters, constant digital communication, inclusive of repeated derogatory remarks directed at the victim, and the introduction of drugs, alcohol, and weapons,” according to a police announcement.
After an eight-year tenure in teaching before detention, Ewer voiced her contrition at her sentencing, stating: “I just want to apologise to the victim and the victim’s family. I’m really sorry; this will never happen again.”