Matthew Shane Wester, Amy Nicole Cox Wed: Indicted Ex-Teacher Weds Teen
Matthew Shane Wester and Amy Nicole Cox have tied the knot.
Wester, 37, an indicted ex-teacher who was charged with having a sexual relationship with a student, Cox, 18, have married just weeks after Cox graduated from high school.
The couple obtained a marriage license on June 8 and wed less than a week later in Gulf Shores on Saturday, June 13, according to the Canada Journal.
In January, Wester was indicted by a grand jury on one count of a teacher having sexual contact with a student. The indictment states that Wester “intentionally and knowingly engaged with a male or female student under the age of 19 in sexual contact which was done for the purpose of gratifying the sexual desire of either party, to wit – kissing and spending the night with the victim.”
When Cox’s ex-boyfriend, Don Brooks, found out about the inappropriate relationship, he shared the story on Facebook with the caption “F****** disgusting!”
Amid the allegations, Wester was placed on paid leave in November, 2014. However, he later resigned from his position as a 10th grade advanced geometry, 11th grade geometry, 12th grade algebraic connections, and 9th grade algebra teacher at Cleveland High School. He also resigned from his position as assistant varsity football coach and head track coach.
Matthew Shane #Wester, Amy Nicole #Cox: Teacher weds student as sex charges loom http://t.co/N9C4qgJdJ2 pic.twitter.com/toz1Ic0IHj
— Jenkers News (ENG) (@jenkers_en) June 17, 2015
“I was provided a marriage license this morning out of Cullman County, which confirmed that they were married on Saturday in Gulf Shores,” said Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey. “The charges currently pending against Mr. Wester stem from an investigation of his relationship with the victim while she was a student and he was a teacher. Now that the legal status of their relationship has changed, we will have to look at our case to determine how we will proceed.”
Because husband and wife cannot be forced to testify against one another, prosecutors have noted that they have lost their chief witness. However, they have not revealed how the case will be handled going forward, or if the charges will eventually be dropped.
Wester was married at the time of the allegations. His divorce from his first wife was finalized in April, and she was later awarded custody of their child, according to the Daily Mail.
[Photo via Mugshots.com]
