A Queens County teacher has been sentenced to six months in jail for having sex with his teenage student. Forty-three year old Derrick Joseph Redden was also placed on probation for six months after pleading guilty to a charge of sexual exploitation. Court was told that the relationship between the Liverpool Regional High School teacher and the girl, began on February 18th of 2009 when the girl was 16. Her father found sexually explicit text messages which had been exchanged between the two when he was tipped off by an anonymous caller that he should investigate the relationship. Redden and the teen admitted to having sex four to five times a month. The relationship ended when Redden was arrested in March and the girl was 17
The South Shore Regional School Board placed Redden on leave with pay pending the outcome of his court case, however, he resigned his teaching position the first week of June. The Board says it has no comment on the outcome of the trial as Redden is no longer their employee.