Former PWC teacher pleads guilty to sex with student

DALE CITY — A former Gar-Field High School teacher in Prince William County pleaded guilty late last week to four felony charges for having a sexual relationship with a student.

Tina Marie Amato, 28, of 413 White Oak Road in Fredericksburg, pleaded guilty in Prince William Circuit Court to three counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor by a custodian and one count of crimes against nature.

Authorities said Amato had a sexual relationship with a male student at Gar-Field, starting when he was 15 years old.

On April 1, 2011, school administrators found out about the relationship when they confiscated the boy’s cell phone, because he was texting in school. The school administrator found “texts of a vulgar and sexual nature” from Amato to the teen on his phone and contacted police, Prince William County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Regan Kline said in court late last week.

The boy, who was not indentified because of his age, told authorities his relationship with Amato began when he was in the ninth grade, in the 2008-2009 school year, prosecutors said.

The boy said he approached Amato, who was his English teacher, repeatedly and, towards the end of the school year got her to kiss him in an empty classroom, prosecutors said.

The two continued their relationship over the summer by chatting online and occassionally going to the movies together, prosecutors said.

During the boy’s sophomore year, the relationship became sexual, authorities said. The two would have sex at an area movie theater occasionally and at least once had sex in a Woodbridge hotel, according to court documents.

Amato told police that she fell in love with the boy, prosecutors said.

The boy said “he did not want to call himself manipulative, but he had a hold over her,” Kline said.

Amato is free on bond, pending a sentencing hearing on April 12.

She is also charged with four counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor in Stafford County. Authorities said those charges stem from Amato having sex with the boy at her home.

Amato is due in Stafford County Circuit Court on those charges on Feb. 8.

Amanda Stewart writes for the News & Messenger.