Former Durand High teacher sentenced to 30 years in prison on criminal sexual assault, child pornography charges

Online Staff Report

Jennifer Bland, 25, pled guilty Aug. 31 to four counts of criminal sexual assault, two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of child pornography and was sentenced to a total of 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The offenses arose out of incidents that occurred between January 2009 and Oct. 22, 2009, while the defendant was a teacher at Durand High School. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 17.

Bland, in her position as a teacher at the school, was in a position of trust or authority to the victims at the time the offenses were committed.

The offenses include unlawful sexual contact between Bland and six of the victims, and soliciting the seventh victim for a video of the victim unclothed and engaged in a sexual act.

Criminal sexual assault is a class 1 felony with a sentencing range of four to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, to be followed by three years to natural life mandatory supervised release. Pursuant to truth and sentencing, a defendant shall serve 85 percent of the imposed sentence.

Child pornography is a class 1 felony with a sentencing range of four to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections to be followed by three years to natural life mandatory supervised release.

Aggravated criminal sexual abuse is a class 2 felony with a sentencing range of three to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, to be followed by two years mandatory supervised release.