Ex-Daytona teacher Arin Hankerd offered prison term, probation in new deal

Arin Hankerd, the former high school teacher accused of having sexual relations with two female students, has been offered a 25-year prison sentence followed by 10 years' probation.

Hankerd, 43, was a teacher at Mainland High School when he met a student there and had her perform oral sex on him at his home, according to court records. Hankerd later went to work at Atlantic High School where he met another girl with whom he engaged in inappropriate behavior on campus, records show.

Circuit Judge Karen Foxman during a hearing Monday gave Hankerd until Wednesday to decide whether to accept the plea deal or withdraw his plea.

Hankerd's defense attorney, John Selden, had filed a motion last week to withdraw his plea which was expected to be decided Monday before Foxman. That motion was based on the prosecutor adding a multiplier which increased Hankerd's possible minimum sentence after he had entered his no-contest plea.

The no-contest plea was open, meaning the prosecutor had not reached any agreement with Hankerd on possible prison time.

But Assistant State Attorney Ashley Terwilleger during the hearing Monday told the court that she had offered Hankerd a plea deal of 25 years in state prison followed by 10 years of sex offender probation. Hankerd would also be designated a sexual predator.

She offered the deal to Hankerd last week after he filed the motion to withdraw his plea.

Terwilleger said that Hankerd had not been interested in the deal.

Selden asked Terwilleger whether the 25-year term was concurrent to charges in both cases, to which she said yes.

Selden then requested a side bar conference with the judge.

After the sidebar, Foxman gave Hankerd until Wednesday to decide whether he wanted to withdraw his plea.

Foxman told Hankerd that she wanted to ensure he understood that if he was convicted at trial he faced up to 186 years in state prison.

She also wanted him to understand that he faced a minimum mandatory of nearly 30 years in prison on just one of the charges.

She told Hankerd that if he still wanted to withdraw his plea on Wednesday, she would allow it.

Foxman said that if he did withdraw his plea, she would fast-track his case because it involved a victim who is still a minor and also because Hankerd is being held in pre-trial detention.

Hankerd entered the pleas on Oct. 25 at which point Terwilleger presented state sentencing guidelines that set a minimum sentence of 18.3 years.

But just days before Hankerd was to be sentenced on Jan. 25, Terwilleger filed new revised guidelines which increased the minimum sentence to 38.4 years in prison. On Monday, Terwilleger said the minimum was just shy of 30 years.

Regardless of the minimum, Hankerd faces up to 186 years in prison on all the charges if run consecutively.

Selden had been expected to argue for a sentence below 18.3 years, known as a "downward departure." Selden was going to argue that Hankerd suffers from bipolar disorder with manic episodes and impaired judgment, according to a motion.

The judge is not required to grant the downward departure.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Ex-Mainland, Atlantic teacher offered prison term, probation in new deal