Ann Margaret Bacon, 27, was sentenced to six months in jail Monday after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a teenage student she taught at a Minnesota high school.
The former special education teacher at Tartan High School in Oakdale, just outside St. Paul, initially told investigators that her sexual relationship with the student began in July 2023, a month after the boy graduated. She reversed that account after authorities confronted her with photographic evidence placing her and the teen together at a hotel during the spring, according to the criminal complaint.
Records showed Bacon had booked rooms at the same hotel on at least four occasions: May 8, June 4, June 11, and July 4 of 2023. She eventually admitted that the sexual relationship had actually ended in July, not started then, and that it began while the student was still enrolled at the school.
The victim told investigators that he and Bacon had been “dating exclusively,” and that he had stayed overnight at her apartment. His description of their relationship came as part of the official investigation that ultimately led to her prosecution.
Witnesses told authorities that Bacon and the student were known for “acting secretively” around each other at school. Another witness was found to have explicit photos of both Bacon and the student stored on his phone.
The criminal complaint also detailed that Bacon purchased alcohol for minors, including a $40 Venmo payment she received that was labeled as being for “liqq.” Multiple witnesses confirmed she had bought booze for underage students who partied with her and the victim.
Bacon had been hired as a special education teacher at Tartan High School in August 2022. She resigned from her position in February 2024, the same day she was interviewed by police, according to the Pioneer Press.
The case drew additional attention after the initial hotel photo surfaced, contradicting Bacon’s original timeline and forcing her to acknowledge the relationship’s true duration. Her guilty plea to third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a prohibited occupational relationship preceded Monday’s sentencing.
The six-month jail sentence comes after months of legal proceedings that began with her February 2024 police interview and resignation. Prosecutors had built their case around the hotel records, witness statements, financial transactions, and Bacon’s own revised confession.
Bacon’s employment at Tartan High School lasted roughly 18 months before her resignation. The school, located in the suburbs east of St. Paul, serves students in the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District.