In addition, studies show that there has been an overall decrease in sex crimes nationwide, so "criminal justice authorities have been freed up to investigate and prosecute cases that they would not have been able to do otherwise," Finkelhof said.
The Orange County middle school teacher sentenced last week, Sarah Bench-Salorio, 29, pleaded guilty in September to 29 counts of lewd conduct with boys. One of her victims was 12 years old when they met.
The Kern County teacher, Sherry Brians, 41, was charged with two counts of annoying and molesting a minor -- a crime that carries a year jail term, a $1,000 fine, or both. She pleaded not guilty to the charges. Her alleged victim also was 12.
On Dec. 22, Jennifer Lynn Sanchez, a 31-year-old math teacher, also in Kern County, was charged with four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old student, and one count each of oral copulation and sodomy with the same student. A few days earlier, a former San Bernardino high school secretary pleaded guilty to statutory rape, also involving a 17-year-old pupil.
Grabert, the Kern County deputy district attorney, said that of the 20 to 25 sex crimes cases she prosecutes each quarter, on average, one-fifth of them involved female sex offenders.
Staff and students at Buttonwillow School, where Brians taught, expressed shock over her arrest.
"I was just stunned," said James Murphy, the school's principal, who described Brians as a teacher "adored" by faculty and students. "There was no indication whatsoever that could be considered that the alleged actions were committed by that person."
But some sociologists and psychologists say that fascination still tends to outweigh outrage among the general public when it comes to reports of female sexual predators.
Cases involving older teenagers having sex with an older woman are often viewed as a "coming-of-age scenario," said Paul G. Mattiuzzi, a Sacramento-based clinical forensic psychologist, who has testified in several court cases involving sex crimes.
Often, he said, boys are less willing to admit that they are being taken advantage of, because having sex with a mature female is "seen more as a badge of honor."
But, Mattiuzzi added, when the victim is pre-pubescent, the public reaction generally tends to be less tolerant.
"That is just plain child molestation," the psychologist said. "You're talking about some kind of sickness or pathology on the part of the perpetrator."
