A 33-year-old married mother faces two counts of statutory rape today against two 15-year-old New Hope High School students, who were released to the woman from school without parents” permission.
Christy McGough, of 1153 Lake Lowndes Road, was charged late Thursday with two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, after she allegedly pulled the students from school without parental permission at 11:20 a.m.
Although McGough was not related to either student and was not on the approved checkout list of one of them, a school employee released the boys to her after she claimed to have spoken with both parents earlier that day, said Lowndes County Sheriff”s Office Chief Deputy Greg Wright.
One of the parents filed a report with the sheriff”s office after she arrived at the school with her son”s lunch to find him missing, Wright said.
The boys were found at McGough”s home later that day, he continued. One of the boys had been living with her, her husband and her two young children while he finished out the school year.
During their investigation, detectives found evidence that statutory rape had occurred, sheriff”s officials said. McGough, who does not have a criminal record in Lowndes County and is not affiliated with the school, is expected to be charged with the additional charges today.
If convicted, she could face up to 30 years in a state prison and a $10,000 fine for each statutory rape charge.
Lowndes County School Superintendent Mike Halford did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
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