Burbank middle school teacher arrested for allegedly having unlawful sex with a student [Updated]

A Burbank middle school teacher has been arrested for allegedly having unlawful sex with one of her students, police said Tuesday.

Amy Beck, 33, surrendered at the Burbank Police Department headquarters Monday and was booked on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a child of 14 or 15. She was apparently overcome by guilt, Burbank police officials said.

Burbank police investigators allege that Beck, a teacher at David Starr Jordan Middle School, had a relationship with one of her male students from March to September 2009.

The boy was 14 at the time, said department spokesman Keith Sterling. Beck was being held on $400,000 bail and was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Superior Court in Burbank.

Police said the investigation is continuing and anyone with information is urged to call Det. Wally Schilling at (818) 238-3254.

[Updated at 4:03 p.m.: Prosecutors charged the middle school teacher Tuesday afternoon with five counts, including four counts of unlawful sex with a person under 16 and one count of oral copulation with a person under 16. If convicted on all counts, she faces up a maximum sentence of up to seven years in state prison. 

Prosecutors asked that bail for Beck be set at $175,000.]

-- Andrew Blankstein

Photo: Jordan Middle School sixth-grade teacher Amy Beck joined her colleagues in togas for the celebration of annual Greek Day in April 2009. Credit: Scott Smeltzer / Glendale News-Press

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Comments

[Steve]

Mrs. Beck needs counseling, not prison. The boy will probably treasure his
memories of Mrs. Beck for the rest of his life. I had a similar experience
when I was 15. One of the best experiences of my life. Don't send Beck
to prison, send her to a shrink.

[illegals hate american]

Sex with a MIDDLE school kid.... OMG FRY HER! 33 yr male and 14 yr girl, would give cause to a lynch mob...but here... What... he da man? Shameful.

[illegals hate american]

I bet this will led the kid to being a John Gardner, or Philip Garrido, this teacher DID damage this LITTLE kid. Lock up your daughters.

[A pedophile by any other name....]

For all these people who say she shouldn't get prison, keep in mind that hse had sex with a 14-year-old. She's a pedophile, pure and simple.

Ask yourself this, what if it were one of these scenarios? In each case, nothing was forced and the student willingly participated.

1) A 14-year-old boy and a 33-year-old male teacher
2) A 14-year-old girl and a 33-year-old male teacher
3) A 14-year-old girl and a 33-year-old female teacher
4) A 14-year-old boy and a 75-year-old female teacher

There is no difference in any of those cases when it comes to the child. In all cases, the damage to the child will be the same. If you think the teacher should go to jail in any of those cases, then the teacher should go to jail in every case.

Lock her up and throw away the key. It's not about whether the kid was harmed in this particular case. It's about an adult taking advantage of a child. If you think she shouldn't go to prison, you're saying that a child predator should be let free just because she's an attractive woman and not a creepy old guy.

[Tommy.D]

"maximum sentence of up to seven years in state prison. " yeah right the sex offender John Albert Gardner III got out the prison 5-6 years for molested a 14 year old , where is the balance ?

[John]

14 years old isn't quite the innocents it used to be. So many of my friends lost their virginity at that age. The relationship was very inappropriate, but that teenager is far from being the victim that some might make him out to be. In the words of a previous comment:

The teacher gets jail time, the student gets high fives.

[lisa]

No one understands the gravity of these actions and the effect it has on the child unless you have been victamized in this way, I was, and I have to tell you it destroys lives, my live has been effected in every way because of the selfish act of one very sick pervert. She she go to jail for a long time because she can never give this young boy his innocence back.

[Lisa]

This person should face a long time in prison, no one knows how much damage this can cause this young boy, it will cause him problems for the rest of his life, no one knows just how much this will affect him unless it has happened to you, it happened to me and it damaged me in more ways than you could ever imagine, she had no right to cheat this child in this way and I for one hope the throw the book at her. She is sick and should never be allowed to be around children agagin.

[Mo]

Yes any person man or women attractive or not doesn't matter it's level of trust and no teacher has any right to do this. This lady is a CHILD M******* she M******* the boy. Why is it people think just because she's attractive she should get a pass. H*** no she wen't beyond her teacher/student trust and she HAS TO PAY for her mess. Just because she's a lady does not give her any more right than if a man did it to a young girl. When she get's out of prison she should be automatically put on a sex offenders list just like men and has to have boundries where she lives and neighborhoods should treat her no different than men that are sex offenders. Really do you want a lady around your neighborhood that likes little boys? She's no different then a man sex offender. When she is out of prison she could be out looking for little boys to prey on. Get real people she is a sex offender and should be treated as such, put on sex offenders list and have the same rules as men sex offenders.

Men teachers are crusified when they went beyond the boundries and have s** with school girls. But with women teachers it's like a light joke oh she's attractive ha ha ha ha let's laugh it off. What?????????? She has no right just like a male teacher to go beyond that boundry. Crucify her, LOCK HER UP FOR LIFE, she's a ped**** and a MOL*****!!! She should NEVER EVER be allowed around any children again. She's a S** OFFENDER. It's so irronic how society looks at women that do this and are like oh it's ok for her she's a woman she's needs to be around children. WHATTT NO she is a S** OFFENDER treat her like she is she is a criminal!! Do you want her in your neighborhood where she can prey on little children!!! Put her on S** OFFENDERS LIST and she can't ever live near children just like men s** OFFENDERS!! She is no different!!!! less

[masterpuff theater]

Blah BLAh BLah, you're all a bunch of gossips and hypocrites. Who was injured by this? No ONE. To say it's the same as if it had been a man is to deny biology and common sense. No woman can rape a willing male, sorry, biology doesn't work like that. No one was forced to do anything against their will, and certainly the young man won't suffer, he's not confused or a "Victim." All thats happened is someone's life is ruined forever. Fire her, yes. Yes, she displayed poor judgement and deserves to be punished, but not by going to prison for life for a victimless crime. there is justice, and there is blind justice. Shouldn't the punishment fit the crime?

[BOOYA]

Why is this public funded school teacher
getting charged different to 16 year old
student from 14 at the time of crimes ?????...
...another form of discriminating scales of justice
when your public funded employment separates you
from similar crimes.

[Hugh]

What's wrong with all you americans? It's only sex, for god's sake! Ask any 14 year old boy if they would like to have sex with a cute woman for free and you'll see... Get real!

[alejandro]

OMG...I once knew a woman who had sex with her teacher Greg Lee at Springall school in San Diego Cal. The sexual relationship started when she was 16yrs old and lasted 3 yrs! until she graduated. She now suffers from depression and other conditions because of this. We need to castrate these sickos!