Liberty High School

Liberty High School

(Joel Davis/The Oregonian/file)

Gregg Martin Jensen, who authorities say was known as one of the "cool teachers" at Liberty High School, is expected to go to prison for sexually abusing one of his students.

The 54-year-old former social studies teacher pleaded guilty to three of the 19 counts against him Thursday in Washington County Circuit Court.

A grand jury indicted him in May on accusations of abusing a 16-year-old girl in one of his classes. The 19 charges included encouraging child sex abuse, using a child in a display of sexual conduct, second- and third-degree sexual abuse, and luring a minor.

In a plea deal, he admitted Thursday morning to charges of using a child in a display of sexual conduct, second-degree sexual abuse and luring a minor. The remaining counts were dismissed.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Kevin Barton said the abuse by the popular teacher went on for a couple of months before his May arrest.

Beth Graser, a spokeswoman for the Hillsboro School District, said Thursday that Jensen resigned from his job in June.

The plea agreement calls for a prison sentence of six years and four months. He also has agreed to sex offender treatment and no contact with the victim, her family, minors or schools.

His sentencing was set for next week, so that his victim could attend. She was not in court for the Thursday plea hearing.

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Gregg Jensen

Authorities opened an investigation into Jensen in April, after a student snapped a picture of the victim sitting on his lap in class.

The student sent the picture to others via Snapchat, and the picture "spread like wildfire," Barton said.

Superimposed on the picture was a caption that read, "Teacher, why is she sitting on your lap?"

It was a good question, Barton said. A student showed the picture to a school staff member, prompting an investigation that quickly found the answer.

Court records say Jensen and the victim became close in February. They talked nearly every day outside of class.

They began texting in March, records show. The teacher complimented her writing and said he wanted to mentor her. Jensen gave her poems he'd written and books he wanted her to read.

Near the time the abuse began, Barton said, Jensen and his wife had dinner with the victim's parents. Jensen convinced the parents that he would be a positive influence on their daughter and could help guide her in her academic interests.

When the girl went to Jensen's house, Barton said, her parents believed she was there for after-school mentoring. Instead, Jensen was sexually abusing her.

Sex acts between them occurred in Jensen's classroom during lunchtime, at Jensen's home, in the victim's driveway and in a car along a dirt road in Helvetia.

Barton said investigators found more than 1,800 text messages between the teacher and student. Many of them were sexually explicit and some included photos.

When school administrators learned about the Snapchat image, they put Jensen on leave April 24 and notified detectives.

Hours later, court records show, Jensen drove while intoxicated in an apparent attempt to kill himself.

Authorities say he crashed into a ditch along Northwest Pumpkin Ridge Road and was taken to a hospital. He was cited that day on driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving charges.

Defense attorney Bill Redden said Jensen plans to plead guilty in the DUII case next week.

Jensen, who wore an orange jail jumpsuit, had his thinning gray hair pulled into a ponytail. His glasses were low on his nose.

He appeared calm. Before his case was called, he sat in the jury box, his knees bouncing occasionally, rustling the chains around his waist.

He answered the judge's routine questions about the plea in a steady, clear voice. Because his sentencing was postponed, he did not have a chance to make a statement Thursday. He will have that chance at his sentencing hearing.

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After Jensen's arrest, the school district deferred comment to Hillsboro police at the department's request. The district drew criticism from some parents and school board members over the lack of communication about the case – the first of its kind involving a HSD employee in more than a decade.

In June, Superintendent Mike Scott defended the district's decision not to notify Liberty families of the situation, saying that administrators made the best decision they could based on the information available. He also said the district had "comprehensively" supported the victim and students affected most directly by the case.

"It's a tiered support system," he said at the time. "There are students that are closer to the situation that have received additional resources and support -- access to counselors on an ongoing basis, access to the administration on an ongoing basis."

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Jensen began working for Hillsboro schools in 1999 as a teacher at Miller Education Center, an alternative school. During his time there, he was reprimanded over his interactions with students. An entry in his personnel file suggests that he exchanged gifts with students, invited some to a movie outside of class and didn't tell his boss about questionable contact with students.

He transferred to Liberty in 2003, the year after he received the letter of reprimand.

Soon after his arrest in May this year, the district announced its intent to fire him. Graser, the HSD spokeswoman, said Jensen resigned in June while efforts were under way to terminate his employment.

Graser said Thursday it was good to see the case resolved without putting the victim or her family through trial.

"It's just been a really upsetting and unfortunate situation all the way around," she said.

-- Emily E. Smith