The Scandal That Rocked the Nation
The relationship between Letourneau and Fualaau didn’t just lead Letourneau to serve two jail terms; it also resulted in a marriage that lasted over a decade. The saga began in 1996, when 34-year-old Letourneau found herself starting a new year as a sixth-grade teacher. What she may not have expected was becoming attracted to one of her students, 12-year-old Vili Fualaau.
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By July of that year, the two were having sex. When Letourneau was arrested in 1997, the utterly rocked state of Washington (where they lived) as well as the nation. After all, it’s not often that we hear of female pedophiles. What might have been even more shocking to people was that Letourneau said she was in love with him.