SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 2, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A former West Valley City teacher was sentenced to prison Tuesday after prosecutors said he assembled scrapbooks with pictures of unclothed girls, and brought them to his classroom.
Michael Scott Hatfield, 59, had entered no contest pleas to four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony; and three counts of accessing pornographic or indecent material on school property, class A misdemeanors.
Third District Judge L. Douglas Hogan sentenced Hatfield to one to 15 years in prison for each of the felonies, to run concurrently. Hogan also gave Hatfield credit for the 370 days the defendant had already served in jail, saying it was sufficient punishment for the misdemeanors.
Investigators said that Hatfield, who taught eighth grade at American Preparatory Academy, would bring his two cut-and-paste albums to school, where he reportedly masturbated between classes.
Hatfield also was accused of covering his in-classroom camera while he looked at the scrapbooks, but the microphone still captured sound suggesting he was gratifying himself.
