Ex-Middle School Teacher Gets 1 Year In Sexual Assault Of 2 Boys

STILLWATER, MN — A former Forest Lake middle school teacher was sentenced Friday to one year in prison after he was convicted of sexual assault.

James E. Carter, 58, assaulted two students from 2018 and 2020, authorities said. In June, a jury found Carter guilty of second and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.

After Carter was convicted, Washington County assistant attorneys Keshini Ratnayake and Kayla Wengronowitz requested the maximum sentence, which was 365 days to be served in Washington County Jail.

Carter must serve at least six months of his sentence in-custody, but he will have the opportunity to serve the remainder of his sentence through alternative jail sentence programs, officials said.

Following the jail time, Carter will be on probation for 25 years and he will have to register as a sex offender.

"Mr. Carter’s blatant abuse of his position of trust to sexually abuse minor victims is every parent’s nightmare and a crime that this office will always prosecute to the fullest extent," said Washington County Attorney Kevin Magnuson in a news release.

"It is my hope that the conclusion of this case will help the victims and their families continue to heal."

Carter taught industrial tech at Forest Lake Area Middle School, according to authorities. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said it launched an investigation after two teens came forward accusing him of assault.

After getting in a fight at school, a local teen was given the option of completing a community service requirement by helping Carter clean his classroom and do other tasks, according to the criminal complaint.

The teen then developed a friendship with Carter and considered him a "nice guy," the complaint stated.

Carter began taking the teen out to restaurants, and paid him and a second boy to do various projects at his house, the complaint said.

Both boys were sexually assaulted at various times at Carter's house, according to the criminal complaint.

The incidents began during the spring of 2019 and continued through August, police said. The teens came forward after confiding in each other about the assaults earlier this month, according to authorities.

On Aug. 18, the boys met and talked about their experiences at Carter's home, the complaint said. "Until that day, Victim 2 had believed he was the only one," the complaint states.