Letourneau’s husband discovered the abuse in February 1997 when he discovered love letters that his wife had hidden. He didn’t yet know she was six months pregnant.
Her husband’s relatives reported her to the police, and Ms. Letreneau was arrested and charged with child rape. The claim that the tween pursued her, that she didn’t know what she was doing was a crime, and that they were very much in love, did not sway the courts or public opinion.
“There was respect, insight, spirit and understanding between us that grew over time,” Letourneau told The Seattle Times in 1997. “It was the feeling you have for a brother or sister, a feeling that they were part of your life forever.” But she “didn’t know what that meant.” And it certainly wasn’t sexual at first. “I felt that one day he might marry my daughter,” she added.
According to Greg Olsen, author of the 1999 book about the case, If Loving is Wrong, the affair wasn’t exactly a secret. “A janitor caught them in a private bathroom, and other teachers saw them kissing,” he told CBS News. Faalau said in a court deposition that one night he snuck up to Letreneau’s roof to have sex with her.
She ultimately pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree child rape, telling the judge: “Sir, I did something that I had no moral or legal right to do. It was wrong and I am sorry. I promise it will never happen again. Please help me. Help us, help us all.”
