NEW HOPE, Minn. - A former high school music teacher has been sentenced for Criminal Sexual Conduct in the 3rd degree for having sex with a 17-year-old student on three occasions in February 2017.
Christine Lee Funk, 32, from New Hope must register as a predatory offender and the sentence includes a stay of execution of 36 months, 180 days in jail and ten years of probation.
A criminal complaint details how a school resource officer at Henry Sibley High School in Mendota Heights became aware of alleged inappropriate communication between a 17-year-old student and Funk. Police recovered those text conversations, which suggested the two had already had sexual relations. Officers also found semi-nude pictures of Funk that had been sent to the teen.
Funk was interviewed and admitted texting with the boy but denied having sex, saying the messages were just a fantasy. When confronted with the pictures police had recovered, the defendant reportedly admitted to sending the images.
During his initial interview, the teen also denied having sex with his teacher.
Police then did a deeper audit of the student's phone and found additional messages suggesting the two had sex. In a second interview the boy told investigators that he and Funk had sexual relations three times, once at her New Hope home, once at the high school, and once in a car outside his parent's house.
