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A high school counselor and volleyball coach from North Carolina has been sentenced to a maximum of 40 years in prison following her admission to sexually abusing a teenage student she was meant to assist with anxiety, as reported by authorities.
Jessica Patrick Finley confessed on Thursday to several felony charges related to sexual misconduct with a minor, including six counts of statutory sex offense with a child, eight counts of indecent liberties with a child, engaging in a sex act with a student, and other offenses involving a child under 15, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI).
Employed at McDowell High School, Finley was accused of grooming a 14-year-old student during the 2023–24 academic year, starting with inappropriate communication that eventually led to sexual interactions, as revealed by investigators.
The alleged abuse partly occurred in Finley’s office at the school, where the student had initially reached out for counseling assistance.
Jessica Patrick Finley, formerly a counselor at McDowell High School, has pled guilty to numerous felony charges involving sexual offenses with a minor. (North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation)
During victim impact statements, the teen’s sister described Finley as “a predator… lurking behind the walls of the counseling office, waiting for a victim,” McDowell News reported.
“We would have beat the door hinges off that building to save her from that monster,” the girl’s mother said.
Court documents obtained by local station WLOS reportedly showed the relationship included explicit text messages discussing sexual encounters and future acts, with prosecutors saying many of the encounters occurred after the victim turned 15.
Authorities said the abuse involving Jessica Patrick Finley occurred while she worked at McDowell High School in North Carolina. (Google Maps)
Finley also told the student she planned to leave her husband and children to be with her, according to court filings.
The relationship came to light after the teen’s parents discovered the messages and reported them to authorities, prompting Finley’s resignation from McDowell County Schools in February 2024.
The NCSBI launched an investigation at the request of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, ultimately charging Finley with numerous sex crimes.
Former McDowell High School counselor Jessica Patrick Finley pleaded guilty in court to multiple felony sex offenses involving a minor. (iStock)
Finley initially declined a plea agreement in April 2025 and attempted to have her bond reduced, which was denied.
She ultimately pleaded guilty to all charges in superior court on Thursday.
“I would just like to say I am so sorry for my actions and the things I have caused, for the pain I have caused,” Finley reportedly said in court.
She was sentenced to a minimum of 28 years and four months and a maximum of 40 years and six months in prison.