Shelley Dufresne (left) and Rachel Respess (right) mugshots
First, for the newbies, let’s get caught up on this bizarre scandal, which I have been eagerly following since last October:
FEMALE PEDOPHILES AND DOUBLE STANDARDS
The Louisiana Teacher/Student Threesome Sex Scandal…
The Louisiana Teacher/Student Threesome Sex Scandal: A Plea Bargain for One…
Shelley Dufresne Celebrates (on Instagram)
So where are we now?
Shelley Dufresne is seen leaving the courthouse after she plead guilty in St. Charles Parish on April 9, 2015. Photo by Sherri Miller.
Well, on August 12th, Shelley St. Pierre Dufresne had her State teaching license permanently revoked by the Louisiana Board of Education. You can read about that HERE I’d say that decision definitely sounds like a no-brainer.
This is, of course, in regards to the case where Dufresne had sex with the then-16 year old by by herself in her home. There is still an ongoing case regarding the separate incidence where Dufresne and her fellow teacher Rachel Respess had a threesome with the boy together in Respess’ apartment. Amazingly, despite it being almost a year since the (alleged?) incident and arrests took place, there is STILL no official charges or trial set.
Almost a year after teachers Rachel Respess and Shelley Dufresne are alleged to have had sex with a 16-year-old student in Kenner, Jefferson Parish prosecutors still have not decided whether to charge the Destrehan High School ex-educators with a crime. Respess’ attorney, Jeffrey Smith of New Orleans, said she is working and “going on with her life,” and that he is providing information to assist the district attorney’s office in conducting a thorough investigation.
Respess’ case was up for a status hearing Thursday (Aug. 20) before Commissioner Patricia Joyce in 24th Judicial District Court. Another hearing is scheduled Oct. 15.
It was the second time in three weeks that one of their cases has appeared on the docket. Dufresne’s attorney, Jim Williams, appeared for a July 30 status hearing, at which no decision on charges against his client was announced and another hearing was set for November.
It is quite curious as to what’s taking so long. I mean, I know this isn’t an episode of Law & Order: SVU, crimes don’t get solved in an hour. But, seriously, what are the prosecutors waiting for? You’d think especially with Defresne’s plea deal in the first case, that should make it easier to either prosecute them, or force a plea deal (preferably one that includes some actual JAIL TIME) in this case.
THIS RECENT ARTICLE also questions the delay. Though it does point out “Rumors also emerged claiming that the infamous three-way sex session had been recorded on video by at least one of the individuals involved. But no such video has yet surfaced.”
“But why prosecutors have not yet figured out how to charge Rachel Respess and Shelley Dufresne in the three-way underage sex case, or whether to charge them at all, has not been explained.”
Well, at this point all us observers can do is what and see what happens. As always, I shall continue to keep an on developments, and update here accordingly. And, in the meantime, I still feel the more sorry for Shelley’s husband Wes. He’s the REAL victim in this case…
