In fact, he pleaded guilty without rebuttal in court on January 23 when the accusations were presented to him. According to WDAY 6, year-old Whalen — who was head of the science department at North Dakota's Grand Forks Central High School — admitted to having sex with the student and resigned on March 1 following a report detailing the affair. It's been reported Whalen engaged with his teenage student in multiple locations, in public and at home.
He pleaded guilty to taking the student to an observation area in Kelly's Slough, a wildlife refuge in North Dakota. In court, the prosecutor said Whalen groped his student's body, "hugged and kissed" her and touched her butt.
The former teacher also pleaded guilty to giving the student oral sex in the back of his Ford Expedition, where he took the minor's clothes off as she laid in the vehicle.
In a video provided by WDAZ of Whalen in the courtroom , he can be seen closing his eyes with disgust as he admits to the sexual actions. Apparently, the relationship between the teacher and his minor student lasted from November to February The maximum charges for his sexual crimes include 15 years in prison. However, his charge of having sex with the student inside a science room in the high school has been dropped.
His final sentence will be determined on April 25, but on Monday, he was sentenced to three years in jail and will be registered as a sex offender. James Whalen didn't deny the fact he had sex with his year-old student. Search Close.
