OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - A federal judge has delayed sentencing for a former substitute teacher on charges he enticed a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct.
WTVA-TV reports (https://bit.ly/KHcYiU ) that the judge granted the request Wednesday to Matthew Blake Whitt.
The 24-year-old Whitt pleaded guilty in September and was scheduled to be sentenced Thursday.
Sentencing will now take place April 17.
Whitt was charged with having inappropriate contact with a 15-year-old student at a school where he worked as a substitute teacher.
Whitt’s attorney filed paperwork Monday asking the federal judge to delay the sentencing hearing while Congress debates the Justice Safety Valve Act of 2013. The act would allow federal judges greater flexibility in sentencing.
Whitt remains free on a $15,000 bond.
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Information from: WTVA-TV, https://www.wtva.com
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