Former Smyrna schools employee sentenced to probation for raping underage students

A former special education employee in the Smyrna School District received four years probation Wednesday after pleading guilty in November to raping two underage students.

Karen L. Brooks, of Dover, an educational diagnostician working in the Special Services department at Smyrna Middle School, was arrested on June 1 and charged after having sexual intercourse with two victims under age 18, according to court documents.

In May, a 17-year-old boy who was listed as missing by police was found in Brooks’ car in Ocean City, Maryland, according to the Delaware Department of Justice. An investigation showed Brooks and the boy, who knew each other from his time in middle school, were involved in a sexual relationship.

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The victim's mother reported her son missing on April 19 to the Smyrna Police Department. According to court documents, the mother of the victim expressed concern that "this teacher has been molesting my son."

She told police she had not seen her son since April 14.

Court documents reveal that when an Ocean City Police Department detective completed a search warrant on the victim's cell phone, text messages were produced depicting an intimate relationship between the suspect and victim.

The sexual relationship occurred between April 14 and May 7 at Brooks' residence, according to court documents. The victim said the two engaged in sex four times, twice over spring break when Brooks' husband and children were traveling out of state.

Further investigation showed Brooks had a sexual relationship with another student, according to the DOJ.

Brooks faced up to 30 years in prison – 15 years for each count of rape in the fourth degree – but Judge William L. Witham Jr. sentenced her to two years probation for each occurrence to be served consecutively. In his sentencing, Witham ordered Brooks, who had no prior criminal record, to pay $354 in fines and have no contact with the victims or any children under 18 years old other than her biological kids.

Brooks, who resigned from her position with the Smyrna School District in June, was further ordered to have no contact with the district and forfeit both her teaching certification and teaching licensure.

As part of her sentencing, Brooks also is to take part in a sexual disorders counseling program until the treatment facility deems treatment unnecessary.

Reach Jerry Smith at jsmith17@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter at JerrySmithTNJ.