- Former West High teacher sentenced to at least 11 years and up to life in prison for sexual abuse of a student.
- The woman told investigators abuse began when she was 17, and continued until after her graduation.
SALT LAKE CITY — A former West High School drama teacher has been sentenced to at least 11 years in prison for sexually abusing a student.
Sterrett "Rett" Oney Neale, 61, was sentenced to five terms of five years to life in prison for three counts of object rape and two counts of forcible sodomy, first-degree felonies, in addition to two terms of one to 15 years for two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.
Third District Judge Teresa Welch ordered each of the prison terms for charges of the same crime to run concurrently, but consecutively to charges for separate crimes.
Neale was convicted in November by a jury that found him guilty on all seven charges and he was taken into custody immediately following the verdict.
The woman told investigators the pattern of abuse began in March 2017 after she participated in a school play directed by Neale, a creative writing and language arts teacher. At that time, she was 17 and she said the abuse lasted over a year, according to a statement from Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.
Neale would have the student come to his classroom, where he would kiss and sexually abuse her, and then after she graduated, they would meet in the parking lot of St. Mark's Hospital and Neale would pick her up and drive her to his home, making her duck down so no one would see her, according to prosecutors.
"This sentence sends a strong message to our community that those in a special position of trust with our children will be held accountable if they violate that trust. We appreciate the victim-survivor for her bravery to stand up to her abuser, and hope that her voice empowers others that may be suffering in silence," Gill said.
Neale was charged in May 2019, just a few months after charging documents claim the abuse stopped.
