A Pottawatomie County Judge has sentenced a former Wamego High School teacher to more than five years in prison for two counts of unlawful sexual relations, with a former student.
The sentence was handed down Thursday to 52-year-old Allen Sylvester, by Judge Jeff Elder. Sylvester will serve 31 months consecutively on both counts, with 24 months of post-release supervision.
The victim, who was 17 and a student at Wamego High when the relationship began in December 2019, delivered a heartfelt plea Thursday to Judge Elder, begging him to spare Sylvester from prison time, stating her voice has been silenced in the past year and that she doesn’t want to be called a victim, and labeling Sylvester as a “love partner.” The woman, whom KMAN is not naming, expressed regret for the timing of the incident, but called Allen a “good man,” who didn’t do it on purpose.
Allen Sylvester has Stage 4 Parkinson’s disease, which was a point of reference by his attorney Thomas Lennon, who stated medications Allen takes to manage the disease can cause side effects that include an inability to control sexual urges.
A second individual, also a former Wamego High student, testified in court Thursday that he too experienced unwanted advances by Sylvester, allegations Lennon says were investigated.
Pottawatomie County Attorney Sherri Schuck responded to the defense’s motion for departure, which was ultimately denied by Judge Elder, stating Sylvester’s actions were still “unlawful” despite the side effects his medications cause.
“The purpose of the statue (Sylvester violated) is to protect our children,” Schuck said.
Judge Elder stated in his ruling that “teachers have the authority over students and the power of them.”
“The victim was in a vulnerable position,” Elder said. “She was a child, a student.”
Sylvester apologized for his actions before the sentencing was handed down, apologizing to the victim and their family as well as the judge, the court and the state of Kansas.
“My crime is that I was guilty of rushing into a relationship,” he said.
Following the hearing, Sylvester and the victim embraced before he was remanded over to the Sheriff’s Office.
Sylvester’s wife, Deborah, was also scheduled for sentencing Thursday afternoon. This story will be updated once that information becomes available.
