The former teacher convicted last year of a having sex with a middle school student in her classroom remains in prison, now twice rejected for early release. But as part of her latest attempt at freedom, Jessica Langford appeared to make a public admission of guilt the first time.
Her December early release request was recently overruled by Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Timothy O’Connell, who in June 2018 sentenced the Centerville woman to a year in the Ohio Reformatory for Women.
In a letter to the judge as part of her December request, the 33-year-old said for the first time that she committed a crime.
In previous communication to – and in appearing before – the court, she has talked of being “responsible for my actions,” taking “advantage” of her teaching position, and having “inappropriate” relationships with students. But she had stopped short of admitting to a crime.
“Not a day goes by that I am not deeply remorseful for my crime,” Langford writes in a four-page letter. “I have learned from my mistakes and promise they will never happen again.
“My mistake will forever be a part of my life. Registering as a sex offender is something I will have to face every day, impacting my life and my family’s life,” the letter states.
“Regardless of my prison term, there is no way I can outrun my crime; the registry will haunt me until I die. I have no one to blame but myself. I am ashamed of my behavior and my decisions.”
Both the August and December requests for Langford’s release refer to her as “a model prisoner” and the health of her mother – a cancer patient — as reasons to grant early release, court records show.
Last month’s motion includes of a letter from a physician, who stated her mother’s “survival may be as short as 3-6 months.” It also includes a letter from Langford’s mother, as well as about two dozen pages relating to the illness.
“My bond with my daughter has pulled me through many dark days,” the letter states. “I need her.”
In September and in his most recent ruling, O’Connell’s language was brief and identical.
“After considering the original pre-sentence investigation and the judicial release report made by the Criminal Justice Services, the court hearby OVERRULES the motion,” the decisions state.