Child Sexual Exploitation

Former STEM School Highlands Ranch teacher and 2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year finalist Tera Johnson‑Swartz, 45, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and cybercrime for a sexual relationship with a 16‑year‑old student that she continued even after being charged. According to Douglas County authorities, the relationship began with sexually explicit texting, escalated to providing the teen with cigarettes and a marijuana vape pen, and then became physical, first uncovered in January 2025 when the boy’s parents found explicit messages. Johnson‑Swartz was first arrested in February 2025 on kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a minor after being caught picking the student up off campus, released on a $100,000 bond, and then rearrested months later when parents reported the pair were still meeting and communicating. The cybercrime count stems from that continued contact, including calls and texts over the July 4 weekend despite the earlier criminal case and school firing her and banning her from campus. In addition to the 14‑year prison term, she must serve six years of sex‑offender probation after release and register as a convicted sex offender, a case that is feeding broader concerns about screening, oversight and accountability for educators in U.S. schools.