Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Hot Tubbing, Board Games & Booze: Married Teachers Plead Guilty to Sex With Male Student
Photo by Kuzma via Shutterstock
A husband and wife duo of now-retired Orange County teachers have pleaded guilty to having sex with a 17-year-old student.
Daniel Alma Shepard, 63, and his wife, Gay Davidson-Shepard, 60, had sexual relations with the boy in 2009, when he was a student at Westminster High School, where Shepard was a teacher. Davidson-Shepard was a teacher at Mesa View Middle School, according to City News Service.
The Shepards invited the boy to their home to watch movies, play board games, and soak nude in the hot tub. They also provided the boy with alcohol. Davidson-Shepard performed oral sex on the boy and her husband when they got out of the water, prosecutors said.
The sexual relations continued after the victim turned 18. Shepard had sexual relations with the victim until September 2009 and Davidson-Shepard continued until December 2009, according to prosecutors. Ultimately the victim told his mother, who contacted authorities.
The couple accepted a plea bargain offer from Orange County Superior Court Judge John S. Adams, who is expected to sentence the pair to three years of formal probation, counseling and 60 days of community service in lieu of prison time. The Deputy District Attorney is already planning to file a motion objecting to the deal.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
