Former West High drama teacher convicted of sexually abusing teen student

SALT LAKE CITY — A former West High School teacher accused of engaging in an illegal sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student has been found guilty of all seven charges levied against him.

On Thursday, a jury convicted Sterrett “Rett” Oney Neale, 60, of Salt Lake City, of three counts of object rape and two counts of forcible sodomy, first-degree felonies; and two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.

Following the verdict, Neale was immediately taken into custody. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 5.

“Our teachers are meant to protect and educate our children, not abuse them. We hope that this jury verdict helps the victim-survivor feel that she has received some justice, though perfect justice would mean this would have never happened to her. We believe this verdict demonstrates the accountability our community expects of our teachers, who we entrust with our children every day,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill in a statement.

Neale, a creative writing and language arts teacher, engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl — one of his drama students — starting in March 2017 when she was attending West High.

“All of this occurred in the suspect’s classroom (after school),” a police booking affidavit states.

Beginning in August of 2017, after she had graduated, the girl said she would go to Neale’s Millcreek home and have sexual encounters with him while his wife was away.

“He would pull into his garage while making the victim duck down so no one would see her. He then would take her back to his bedroom and sexually abuse her. This pattern of abuse lasted for over a year before she turned 18 years old,” according to Gill’s office.

The activity continued through February of 2019. In April 2019, Neale was arrested and charged a week later.

Following his conviction on Thursday, a judge ordered Neale to be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without the possibility of posting bail pending his sentencing.

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