CHESAPEAKE
Michael Patrick Harris, a fired Virginia Beach teacher, was sentenced Friday to a year in jail for taking indecent liberties with a 13-year-old girl at his Chesapeake home.
Circuit Judge Marjorie Taylor Arrington sentenced Harris to five years, four of which were suspended. He was ordered to complete a sex offender program, register as a sex offender and avoid unsupervised contact with anyone under 18.
Harris, 31, was fired this month from Landstown Middle School after admitting that he fondled the child. He had been suspended since his arrest in January.
He also has taught at Princess Anne and Lynnhaven middle schools. He has surrendered his teacher's license.
The victim was a friend of Harris' baby sitter, and the two teen girls were sleeping over at his home in December, according to Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Diallo Morris. The next morning, Harris went into a room where the girl was staying and touched her while she was getting dressed.
One of Harris' children, a 5-year-old daughter, was in the room at the time, Morris said. They lived in the Ravenna subdivision near Mount Pleasant Road and Centerville T urnpike.
The mother of the victim testified that she called Harris on Dec. 29 to ask him about his actions. He told her he was seeking help, she said.
Harris has admitted to being a sex addict, according to court testimony. His wife, Tara Harris, testified the couple has three small children, including an infant. She said her husband is embarrassed.
"He's not a horrible man," she said. "It was a mistake."
Witnesses on Harris' behalf called him "a wonderful father" and a "reliable and trustworthy" person.
Morris asked the court to give Harris an active prison sentence. Defense attorney Andrew Sacks argued that his client's actions didn't occur in his capacity as a teacher. He asked that the judge follow sentencing guidelines, which called for probation.
John Hopkins, (757) 222-5221, john.hopkins@pilotonline.com
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