Bail set for teacher accused of having affair with teenager

Kim Smith

Tuesday, May 7, 2002 | 10:48 a.m.

Bail of $200,000 was set this morning for a 33-year-old California teacher accused of having an affair with a 15-year-old student.

Tanya Hadden appeared via video before Justice of the Peace Jennifer Togliatti, who scheduled a preliminary hearing on 17 sex-related charges for May 17, although prosecutors could take the case to a grand jury before then.

Hadden, a San Bernardino teacher, is accused of beginning an affair with the boy about one month ago and driving to Las Vegas with him last week once authorities began to investigate rumors she had supplied teenagers with alcohol at a party.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Doug Herndon filed a criminal complaint against Hadden charging her with eight counts of statutory sexual seduction, eight counts of sexual conduct between a teacher and student and one count of kidnapping.

Herndon said California authorities have agreed to allow Nevada to prosecute Hadden first, because the potential penalties are much higher in Nevada. If convicted, Hadden could receive a life sentence.

Herdon said the case against Hadden is especially strong because the couple were found together in Nevada, authorities believe they have physical evidence the two were sexually involved and they confiscated a love note from Hadden to the boy.

Although Hadden and the boy are from California, Herndon said the 1998 Nevada statute that prohibits sex between teachers and students from the same school does not specify that they must be from Nevada or Clark County.

"I dissected the law every which way and I didn't see anything to prohibit us from charging Ms. Hadden," Herndon said.

According to court documents, the boy told police he and Hadden simply began driving and talking April 29. Once they arrived in Las Vegas, they stayed at the Excalibur, Silverton and New Frontier. Despite a fresh hickey on his neck, the boy denied having intercourse with Hadden at first. Eventually, however, he said they had sex multiple times at the various motels.

Hadden insisted to police she and the boy only kissed once.

"Throughout the investigation she was overly concerned of (the boy's) well-being, making sure that he was fed, that he'd be taken care of and that he would get some type of counseling and be returned to his parents and that he would not be embarrassed by the media," the police report states.