Iowa Teacher Admits to Sexually Abusing Her Student in Class, Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

A former Ankeny middle school teacher and softball coach will spend the next 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee - pattern, practice or scheme of conduct.
According to the Polk County Attorney's Office, 35-year-old Rachel Elizabeth Whiteside was arrested in February 2024after school officials received a tip from a former student that Whiteside started a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student in 2015, when she was 26 years old. Whiteside was a teacher and softball coach at Ankeny Northview Middle School.
Whiteside and the Student Had Years-Long Relationship, Engaged in Sexual Intercourse in Classroom
The investigation began when a district employee alerted the Ankeny Police Department about allegations of an inappropriate sexual relationship between Whiteside, who also is a softball coach, and a former student that began in 2015, the police department said in a statement.
The relationship had continued for several years before the victim reported it to school officials. Whiteside allegedly groomed the student and carried on a multi-year sexual relationship that started when the victim was 14 years old.
The relationship continued until the victim was 23 and included instances of sexual intercourse in Whiteside's classroom, according to the allegation the victim submitted to the school district.
Whiteside Wished Victim 'Happy Anniversary' via Email, Bought Her Gifts
An email with the words "Happy Anniversary" that Whiteside sent to the victim on Jan. 14, 2022, confirmed that the relationship had started seven years before when the victim was in 9th grade, according to court documents.
Whiteside had used her role as a teacher and coach to make the student share intimate life details, according to a criminal complaint. Whiteside also provided gifts to the victim throughout their relationship.
She also kept photographs of the victim in her classroom, and had kept a note written by the victim when she was a student in middle or high school in her desk drawer, according to court documents.
Whiteside Sentenced to 4 Consecutive 5-Year Sentences
As reported by KCCI, during the sentencing, Whiteside's attorneys argued for a 10-year sentence, but Polk County Judge Paul Scott sentenced her to four consecutive sentences of five years, for a total of 20 years behind bars. Whiteside will also be under the supervision of the Iowa Department of Corrections for 10 years and be listed on the Iowa Sex Offender Registry.
"The defendant sees herself as the victim in this case," said Assistant County Attorney Thomas Tolbert. "She should have been the teacher she was required to be. Instead of helping (the victim), she sexually abused her multiple times."
Whiteside apologized to the victim, saying, "This was entirely my failure. I had a responsibility to maintain boundaries, and I deeply regret the harm I caused."
The victim said Whiteside controlled, manipulated and abused her for seven years. "I looked up to this person, and she took advantage of my vulnerability," the victim said. She also said the abuse and trauma drove her to attempt suicide multiple times.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Record

27 minutes ago

• Daily Record

Abandoned baby found in holdall in car park traces parents on ITV Long Lost Family

ITV Long Lost Family: Born Without A Trace will focus on the 'Baby in Pink' Sarah Meyers, its youngest ever searcher. Sarah Meyer will be remembered by many as the 'baby in Pink'. The 24-year-old was abandoned by her mother when she was a newborn baby and hit the headlines after being found in a holdall sitting in a multi-story carpark when she was just an hour old, wrapped up in pink towel and a white shawl. Sarah is now the youngest person to search for a relative on ITV Long Lost Family: Born Without A Trace. ‌ Dubbed 'Baby in Pink' by the press at the time, Sarah's discovery was a huge national news story and led to a nationwide search for the mother of the tot. Sarah even appeared on This Morning with a police sergeant, as cops went to desperate measures to locate her family. ‌ Then host of the ITV show, Judy Finnegan, told viewers at the time: 'This little sprog was abandoned in a multi-story carpark. She was barely an hour old, weighing just 7lbs.' However all efforts led to dead ends despite many public appeals and Sarah's birth mum didn't come forward. She was adopted at the age of three months old by mum and dad Jo and Pierre, who already had another adopted daughter, Jess. Viewers of the Long Lost Family spin off will see the emotional journey everyone ends up on when Sarah attempts to find out the truth behind her birth story. The programme, hosted by Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell, attempts to help foundlings, which means people who were abandoned by their birth family as babies, sometimes in unusual places including a phone box, a cardboard box or church steps. The upcoming instalment will reveal that Sarah's umbilical cord had been cut when she was found, but not clamped, meaning it could have been a home birth. Baby Sarah was then sent to hospital where she was under the care of a host of nurses who took her under their wing. ‌ Sarah says: 'On the news, I was the Baby in Pink because I was in the pink towel wrapped in the blanket. 'I was named Caroline after the nurse who looked after me and Pembrooke after my car park. It's like a little secret identity of mine. Now my middle name is Caroline." ‌ Sarah, who still owns the town and holdall she was found in, opens up about her close relationship with her own family and says that she and sister Jess were always told they were adopted, as writes the Mirror. She went on: 'I want my birth parents to know that they shouldn't feel any remorse because I've had a wonderful life. But I'd like an explanation because it is something that is missing, to know where I come from. Why was I abandoned?' Sarah goes back to the car park she was found in as part of the episode and is left wondering who would leave a baby in such a busy area. ‌ She said: 'I was an evening baby and 30 minutes to an hour old. So I was literally fresh out of the womb.' She also gets a letter from a police evidence box, which was sent to investigating officers 10 days after she was discovered in the car park. The letter gives no clues, and is typed and unstamped. ‌ It reads: 'Please look after my little girl. I love her so much, but just can't cope with another baby. Thank you to all the police officers involved, hospital staff, and the members of the public for their help. Thank you.' As part of the episode, Sarah is reintroduced to Police Sergeant Wendy Whiting, the first on the scene when she was found and someone who stayed with her case for the duration of its development. Wendy reveals when the baby was found, the person who discovered her thought she'd found a bomb at first. ‌ Wendy says: 'I remember the radio message coming out and thinking, 'Did I just hear that right?' An abandoned baby, no clothes on, we were concerned.' The ITV research team are helped by Sarah's young age and are able to access documents quickly compared to more historical investigations. They soon establish who her birth parents are and find out that her mum was in her late teens when Sarah was born, and already had a child. ‌ However, Sarah's birth mum is not as easy to track down, and doesn't respond to an approach by researchers. Sarah, who now lives in Northern Ireland with her partner Shannon and has a cybersecurity degree, says: 'It's good to hear that she's at least alive and is out there. It leaves the door open for her to come and meet me if she wants to. I'll never close that door. I respect that it's such a big thing for her. I understand that she might not be ready. I want her to see that I've lived a good life and that I'm not angry with her.' There is good news also as Sarah's birth father, who has a partner and a daughter, reveals he never knew of her existence but is keen to get to know her. He stays anonymous to protect the birth mum's identity but is overcome with emotion as he says: 'It's very upsetting to know that my daughter was just left there in that situation. Anything could have happened to her.' ‌ Sarah's birth dad then wonders if his late mum would have seen her baby granddaughter and not known, as she'd worked at the hospital unit where Sarah was taken to. As Long Lost Family fans are accustomed to, there's then an emotional reunion and exchanging of photos as Sarah meets her father and they note their similar physical attributes, and common interests. He says: 'My daughters can get to know each other and we can all be a family together.' Sarah adds: 'I've been waiting a long time, I just didn't think it would be possible. He was as I imagined and more, beyond what I expected. I can't wait to get to know him more. The past is in the past and the adventure is only beginning.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!

South Wales Guardian

27 minutes ago

• South Wales Guardian

Carlos Alcaraz regains his Queen's crown after beating Jiri Lehecka in final

The Spanish top seed replicated his debut triumph on the grass courts of west London in 2023 with a 7-5 6-7 (5) 6-2 victory. It was an 18th-straight match win for Alcaraz – in his fifth consecutive final – following his title successes in Rome and at the French Open. VAMOS KING CARLOS!! 🏆❤️‍🔥 The incredible @carlosalcaraz wins the #HSBCChampionships title @QueensTennis | @atptour — LTA (@the_LTA) June 22, 2025 World number 30 Lehecka had knocked out home hope Jack Draper on Saturday to become the first Czech finalist since Ivan Lendl won the title in 1990. The 23-year-old played his part in a high-quality final with some huge serves and powerful groundstrokes, forcing the match to a decider via a tie-break. But Alcaraz, the defending Wimbledon champion, did not face a single break point and slammed down 18 aces on his way to a 21st career title, proving he will be the man to beat at SW19 again with a stylish win in two hours and eight minutes. 'It's really special, this trophy and this tournament. I'm happy to lift this trophy once again,' he said. 'Jiri, you had an incredible week and it's a nightmare to play against you. Great week, great job and keep it up for Wimbledon. 'It has been an incredible week. I came without expectations and just wanted to play good tennis and to get used to the grass.' Alcaraz got a first look at a break point at 2-2, but he barely saw the 138mph ace that snuffed it out. At 4-5 the 22-year-old was in a spot of bother, serving at 0-30, but with a quick squeeze of the accelerator he reeled off eight of the next 10 points to hold and then grab the crucial break. Alcaraz had dropped just 10 points on serve before the second-set tie-break but he suddenly dropped his guard, with an untimely double fault and a pair of Lehecka aces taking the match the distance. But Lehecka dipped in the third with Alcaraz breaking for 3-1, and before long a flashing forehand brought up two championship points, the world number two taking the first and roaring with delight at a second Queen's title.

Rhyl Journal

28 minutes ago

• Rhyl Journal

How to prevent and report Japanese knotweed amid fly-tipping

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste on public or private land – and its on the rise across the UK with more than one million incidents reported over the last two years. Now, experts are warning of another element that could add to the issue blighting areas. Fly-tipping often involves rubble, soil and plant cuttings which is then dumped and left to rot. If Japanese Knotweed is either fly-tipped or unknowingly part of dumped soil within the waste – then there's a problem. 'Fly-tipping and Japanese knotweed is a big problem in the UK,' reports. 'Because it leads to the spread of this invasive species. 'If plant material is present in the fly-tipped waste, it can quickly establish itself in the new location, creating a new infestation. 'Japanese knotweed is an extremely resilient plant. Furthermore, it can grow in a wide range of soil types and conditions. 'It spreads by producing new shoots from its wide root system, which can extend up to 7m from the main stem. 'This means that if Japanese knotweed is brought to a new area, it can quickly colonize the entire site, out-competing native vegetation and causing some environmental damage.' The fly-tipping of Japanese knotweed can also occur when commercial site owners are unwilling to pay for the treatment of knotweed on their land. By excavating and fly tipping the contaminated area, they promote the spread of knotweed root fragments and rhizomes which regrow after lying dormant for 20 years. Just last month, the invasive plant was said to be in "super growth" across the UK due to the dry and warmer conditions. Craig Godbehere, a site supervisor and certified surveyor in Japanese Knotweed at Thomson Environmental Consultants, said: 'Japanese knotweed has now become widespread in a range of habitats, particularly roadsides, riverbanks and derelict land, where it can cause serious problems by displacing native flora and with the potential to cause structural damage. 'It spreads rapidly in the wild by natural means or as a result of human activity.' Japanese knotweed, which was introduced to the UK as an ornamental plant in the nineteenth century, can only be removed with costly specialist treatment. It requires a multi-pronged approach, often involving herbicides and potentially excavation, depending on the extent of the infestation. Professional advice and support is required. Recommended reading: Japanese knotweed in 'super growth' across UK expert warns Is Himalayan balsam illegal in the UK? What a fine could be What to do if you see Himalayan balsam? Advice for gardeners If you suspect the act of fly-tipping of Japanese knotweed you should contact the Environmental Agency by email (enquiries@ or via their 24-hour freephone number (0800 80 70 60). It is a criminal offence to fly tip any material containing Japanese knotweed, and doing so is punishable with up to two years' imprisonment and an unlimited fine.