Former Jacksonville teacher pleads guilty to having sex with student

Christine Dennard, a former First Coast High School teacher, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual activity with a minor. (Photo provided by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A former Jacksonville high school teacher has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of unlawful sex with a minor, News4Jax learned Wednesday.

As part of a plea agreement, Christine Dennard pleaded guilty to one count and four others were dropped. She was ordered to serve five years’ probation following her prison sentence and she agreed to never teach again.

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The victim, now an adult, approved of the plea agreement, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

Dennard, 34, is a former chorus director at First Coast High School. She was arrested in late 2019 after an investigation by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office into unlawful sexual activity.

The victim, who was 16 at the time, told investigators the pair had an “intimate relationship” from April 2018 to October 2018. Investigators were able to corroborate the student’s statements.