North St. Paul teacher pleads guilty in sex case involving impaired pupil

A substitute teacher at an east-metro special education school has pleaded guilty to trying to coerce a student to give sexual favors to men in exchange for money.

Tameshia L. Allen-Hodges, 23, of Oakdale, pleaded guilty last week in Washington County District Court. She taught at Next Step Transition Program, a public school in North St. Paul.

The student was 21 years old at the time but had the "functional capabilities" of a first- or second-grader, police said.

According to the criminal complaint:

Allen-Hodges told the student that she could make some extra money giving massages. Allen-Hodges brought the woman to her apartment on April 22 and also suggested making money by offering the men sex.

Allen-Hodges had the woman pose for cellphone pictures in lingerie and then posted the images in an ad on a local website.

One man came to the apartment. The woman said she had no physical contact with him.

At first, Allen-Hodges denied to an investigator that she had anything to do with the photos but later admitted her involvement and allowed police to search her cellphone. It included lingerie images of the student.

Sentencing for Allen-Hodges is scheduled for March.