(BEDFORD) – Former North Lawrence school teacher Nathan Woodward must fulfill the requirement of registering as a sex offender as part of a plea agreement.
Nathan Woodward was a former teacher and coach at Bedford North Lawrence High School who was arrested for child seduction with a female student back in July 2010.
On Monday afternoon, Lawrence County Superior Court II Judge William Sleva ordered Woodward to fulfill the part of the original plea agreement and register as a sex offender for 10 years as originally ordered by the State of Indiana on August 30, 2010.
In August 2010, Woodward admitted to the allegations in a negotiated plea deal. Judge Sleva sentenced Woodward to two years in the Lawrence County Jail, with all two years suspended to probation. Woodward was ordered to complete 18-months on electronic monitoring. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
His conviction was reduced on October 26, 2012 from a felony to a misdemeanor when he completed his probation successfully.
Once his conviction was reduced to a misdemeanor, Mark Jones, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department Sex & Violent Offender Coordinator, advised Woodward in person and in writing that he no longer needed to register as a sex offender. Nathan Woodward registered up to September 1, 2013 as required.
On December 3, 2019, the Lawrence County Prosector’s office notified Woodward’s attorney Sam Shaprio that the defendant needed to register as a sex offender no later than December 6, 2019, or criminal charges would be filed against him for non-registry. Woodward registered.
However, Deputy Prosecutor Bob Cline states Woodward was required to register from September 1, 2013 until December 6, 2019 and is therefore subject to criminal prosecution and that the State of Indiana is entitled to void the original plea agreement.
Shapiro argued that Woodward reasonably relied on the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department who informed him he did not have to register from 2013-2019 and any breach in the plea agreement was caused by the State of Indiana.
On Monday, Judge Sleva ordered Woodward to register until November 30, 2026. No new criminal charges would be filed related to not filing from 2012-2019.
“This is to correct the mistake of Mr. Woodward not having to file. Once we became aware of this we wanted to make sure he continues to register as required up until November of 2026,” Deputy Prosecutor Bob Cline said following the hearing.
