Greene woman gets jail time for teen sex

A Greene County woman will spend 14 months in jail after admitting she had consensual sex with three high school students.

Tammy Harlow Cox, 40, pleaded guilty in Greene’s juvenile court Thursday to five counts of contributing to a delinquency of a minor by having sex with them. As part of Cox’s sentence, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge Susan L. Whitlock restricted the defendant’s proximity to schools, playgrounds and athletics fields for the rest of her life.

Cox was a parent of a William Monroe High School student in the fall and had been to the school’s football field to take pictures, according to defense attorney Andre A. Hakes.

Both Hakes and Commonwealth’s Attorney Ronald Morris declined to comment on how Cox met the three victims.

Morris said information about Cox came out while authorities were investigating an incident involving the football team.

In September, Greene schools Superintendent David Jeck informed parents that two football players had been charged in connection with a hazing incident at the high school. The e-mail also said an adult reportedly had inappropriate contact with high school athletes.

Morris said Cox pleaded guilty Thursday to charges involving three victims, whom Hakes described as between 16 and 17 years old. Whether the three teens were members of the football team is unknown.

“One of [the victims] was threatening to tell on her if she didn’t have sex with him,” Hakes said.

Hakes said her client suffers from bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, adding that Cox’s mental condition causes poor judgment and insight.

“I feel that Miss Cox was also a victim, as well as being convicted of these offenses,” Hakes said.

Cox was charged Oct. 3 with two felony counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and three misdemeanor charges of rendering a child delinquent by having sex with them. Morris said Thursday that he reduced the felony charges because he wouldn’t have been able to prove that Cox was in a supervisory or custodial relationship with the victims.

Whitlock sentenced Cox to 12 months of jail on each charge — the maximum sentence for misdemeanor counts — but suspended portions of each charge, for a 14-month active sentence. Morris said the remaining time was suspended on condition of three years of good behavior.

The charges to which Cox pleaded guilty will not require her to be registered as a sex offender. However, Morris said the charges are offenses that prohibit proximity to children.

“She will forever be prohibited from loitering within 100 feet of a school, and forever prohibited of being within 100 feet of a playground or athletic field or gymnasium,” Morris said. “A violation of that would be a felony.”

Part of Whitlock’s sentence also will prevent Cox from having unsupervised contact with juveniles who aren’t in her custody.

Cox, who did not speak on her behalf in court Thursday, was taken into custody after sentencing. She is expected to serve her sentence at the Central Virginia Regional Jail.