A former teacher who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a student has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after repeatedly contacting the victim while serving a four-month jail sentence in the case.
Pulaski County Circuit Judge Barry Sims on Monday told former Mount St. Mary Academy teacher and coach Kelly O'Rourke that he was going to come down on her "pretty hard" because she willfully disregarded the court's no-contact order after pleading guilty earlier this year.
Sims noted O'Rourke, 42, made more than 50 calls to the victim, with the first coming less than two weeks after her original sentence was handed down in January. Sims at that hearing sentenced her to 15 years in prison but suspended all but a 120-day jail term.
Sims said he listened to recordings of some of the calls from the jail, including one in which O'Rourke told the victim she wanted her "in her life" as her girlfriend. The judge called the recordings "discomforting" and said they showed a disrespect for the court.
"You had no intention of following these orders," Sims told O'Rourke.
O'Rourke last month admitted violating terms of the first sentence and on Monday read a brief statement of apology.
"I am remorseful, ashamed and regret my behavior in disrespecting the court's orders," she said.
The victim was 16 and a student when the abuse began in 2010, and she remained a victim until she graduated the next year at age 17.
Sims on Monday also withdrew the no-contact order he had previously issued, noting the victim is now an adult.
Last month, former Mount St. Mary athletic director Kathy Griffin was found guilty of failing to report the sexual relationship between O'Rourke and the victim. Griffin, who is O'Rourke's former domestic partner, was sentenced to a year of supervised probation.
Both Griffin and O'Rourke were fired from the school last year.