A former Tennessee teacher who got pregnant after raping a 12-year-old boy pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to 25 years in prison with no parole.
On Dec. 20, Alissa McCommon, 39, of Covington, pleaded guilty to a host of charges including one count of rape of a child, two counts of statutory rape by an authority figure, three counts of aggravated statutory rape and three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means, according to a statement from Tipton County District Attorney Mark Davidson.
McCommon’s trial was supposed to start in January 2025 before her guilty plea.
She was also sentenced to community supervision for life on the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry as a violent sex offender and was ordered to have her teaching license revoked.
Covington Police Department Facebook
Police arrest Alissa McCommon in Sept. 2023
She was ordered to have no contact with any of her victims or “with the infant child” fathered by her 12-year-old victim, WMC reports. The mother of the 12-year-old victim has custody of the baby, ABC 24 reports.
Prosecutors believe the former English Language Arts and Social Studies teacher at Charger Academy in Covington had as many as 21 victims between the ages of 12 and 17, investigators said, Fox 13 Memphis reports.
Some of the alleged victims were her students. She met one minor at a party and one while playing Fortnite, Assistant District Attorney Joni Reagan said during the trial, WMS reports.
One mother grew emotional in court, saying, “I loved you like family, opened my doors to you,” WREG reports. “You used our friendship to hurt me and the people I love in this world, took innocence from my son before puberty, took what was supposed to be a great experience and tainted it . Your mind is sick and twisted for looking at a child and being turned on.
“The innocent child will be loved and raised without your influence,” the mother continued. “There’s no amount of time they can give you that will equal what God will give you. You will burn in hell.”
As PEOPLE reported previously, Covington police began investigating McCommons in August 2023 when they received information from the Tennessee Department of Children Services about possible sexual misconduct involving a teacher and a former student, police said in an earlier statement.
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Multiple juveniles then came forward alleging “they were befriended by their former teacher, McCommon, who began playing video games with them, and then further engaged with them through mobile phone social media apps, which led to her allegedly sending inappropriate photographs and requesting sexual relations with the victims,” police said in the statement.
The statement added McCommon told one victim he would “regret” going to the authorities. police said in a statement.
In other texts with the 12-year-old boy who impregnated her, she threatened to kill herself if he ended their relationship, police said, WREG reports.
His paternity was confirmed by a DNA test, police said, WREG reports.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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