In a verified complaint filed in Ellis County District Court on March 1, former GPS para-educator Taylor Rogers, 21, was charged with Attempted Unlawful Sexual Relations with a 17-year-old student.

According to the complaint filed, on Dec. 21, Rogers “did unlawfully, feloniously and knowingly attempt to engage in consensual sodomy with a person who she is not married to and the person was a student at Hays High School.

The defendant was employed at Hays High School as a para-educator in an overt act towards the crime was committed when the defendant solicited the student to perform an act of sodomy on the student and the crime did not occur when the student refused.”

In the statutes established in 2012 by the Kansas Legislature, sodomy is defined as “oral contact or oral penetration of the female genitalia or oral contact of the male genitalia; anal penetration, however slight, of a male or female by any body part or object.”

As per the filed complaint, the crime of Attempted Unlawful Sexual Relations is categorized a level 7 personal felony.

Because Rogers has no criminal history, such an offense falls under the “Presumptive Probation” category for the Kansas sentencing range for non-drug offenses.

According to the Schlimmer Law firm in Overland Park, “If a defendant is convicted of or pleads guilty to a Presumptive Probation offense, the legislature ‘presumes’ that the defendant is entitled to a contract of probation. The defendant, however, could serve the underlying sentence if he or she violates the terms and conditions of the probation contract.”

While it is unclear what lies ahead for Rogers in the way of sentencing or probation, it is certain that sexual offender registration will be required.

According to the KBI website, Rogers must register as a sex offender for 15 years, unless a longer term is specified.

Other requirements for offender registration include immediately renewing any Kansas driver’s license or state identification card issued, which will indicate that she is a registered sex offender. Registered sex offenders are also required to inform law enforcement of internet activity, including email addresses, social media pages and any online identities or screen names.

If Rogers fails to register, fails to update her registration, or provides any false information or otherwise violates any requirement of the Act, she will have committed a violation of the Kansas offender registration Act. Violations will result in subsequent felony convictions.

Rogers was terminated from the school district on Jan. 17 and is due back in court April 3.

18lgregory@usd489.com