An indicted ex-teacher by the name of Matthew Shane Wester from Alabama is grabbing headlines after marrying Amy Nicole Cox, his former student over the weekend. The former educator was accused in 2014 of having a sexual relationship with the teenager. Matthew Shane Wester is 37 years old, and Amy Nicole Cox is 18.
Indicted ex-teacher weds teen that got him in trouble with the law and story goes viral. Matthew Shane Wester, 37, married Amy Nicole Cox, 18, on Saturday in Gulf Shores, Alabama, according to AL.com. Public records reveal that the couple obtained a marriage license on June 8.
Wester, who was a geometry and algebra teacher at Cleveland High School, got indicted in January for kissing and spending the night with a student. Wester and this teenager are now married, this development could have ramifications in the criminal case against the former assistant varsity football coach and head track coach.
The former Blount County high school teacher, who graduated from Cleveland High School, was placed on paid leave on November 25, 2014 after the allegations surfaced. According to his indictment the father of one, “intentionally and knowingly engaged with a male or female student under the age of 19 in sexual contact which was done for the purpose of gratifying the sexual desire of either party, to wit – kissing and spending the night with the victim.” Authorities were made aware of the allegations on November 24, 2014.
Amy Nicole Cox graduated from high school in May. Matthew Shane Wester and his ex-wife filed for divorce in January, and it was finalized in April. The ex-wife was granted custody of their child. Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey had the following comment about Wester and Cox’s marriage:
“I was provided a marriage license this morning out of Cullman County, which confirmed that they were married on Saturday in Gulf Shores. The charges currently pending against Mr. Wester stem from an investigation of his relationship with the victim while she was a student and he was a teacher. Now that the legal status of their relationship has changed, we will have to look at our case to determine how we will proceed.”
The age of sexual consent in the state of Alabama is 16. As husband and wife, the former teacher and his ex-student can choose to testify against or for each other in criminal cases. However, they can not be forced to do so.
Commentators are split on the future of the relationship, and some went even as far as suggesting that Wester is using his new wife not to face the justice system. Few people did show support to the newlyweds by saying that “love is love” and “age ain’t nothing but a number.”
What are your thoughts on Matthew Shane Wester and Amy Nicole Cox’s marriage? Should the ex-teacher go to prison?
Nice! I think it’s great that this jerk-off trolls the high school where he worked to cheat on his wife and child WITH A CHILD he was supposed to mentor and keep safe from blow-hole predators like himself. What’s next, the classic, “But we’re soulmates!” speech? Please put this joke of a man behind bars and keep him out of schools for the rest of his life. Thank God his ex-wife got custody of his other child because it was probably only a matter of time before a sexual relationship developed there too.
I bet this is a ‘lady’, grossly overweight, and waiting for her tired husband to return home from work, to chew his butt out for not taking out the trash, yet believes Bruce Jenner is a ‘hero’.
What would the original poster, potentially being a woman, have anything to do with the comment? It’s disgusting what this guy did, and I would say the same thing if a 37-yr-old female teacher married an 18-yr-old male student. It’s just wrong. Let me guess – you are a 40-something yr-old “man” who lives in your mother’s basement, watches way too much porn, and blames the world for you being a loser.
No Zippy, I am the father of a 16 year old girl. But hey, If you want have sex with your “hero” Bruce Jenner, who am I to stop you? If you want to have sex with with my 16 year old daughter, you are a pathetic loser who should go to jail! Good luck in prison Zip!
Leave them alone!
If that were your kid, would you be saying that?
yes… she is now 18
Yes, I would be saying that. She is 18. When I was 17 and 18 I had much older boyfriends that truly cared about me. It didn’t make them perverts. As a mother of 3 teenage daughters, I prefer they wait til they’re 18 to date somebody older, but I know all about young love/ new love and how hard it is to resist. Would I be thrilled?? No. Would I accept it and move on? You bet, or any kids they have together I won’t be able to see.
when I was 33, I married a 21 year old woman. We are still married 34 years later. Age is just a number.
The actual act was committed while she wasn’t of legal age. He is still wrong for what he did. Don’t leave them alone, prosecute his ass. They did it to Mary Kay, he doesn’t deserve a pass.
Uhm where exactly did you get that info? Please READ the article before you make stupid remarks like that. Legal age in Alabama is 16. she is now 18 and it said he was put on leave Nov 24 2014. That was only 7 months ago so she would have been AT LEAST 17.
Someone compared this case to Mary Kay Letournou. Mary Kay also married her child lover and they have been married for many years and have two daughters, who are now in their late teens or young adults (I forget which). The comparison was that just because this guy married his former student (who is now 18), he should still be prosecuted. Mary Kay served her time BEFORE she married the kid.
Though she may be somewhat physically developed at 16 or 17 when they started, 9 out of 10 girls usually arent developed mentally and emotionally. He was a grown man at the time, that is why the relationship is disturbing even though it is legal. He was a grown man with a little girl. Also by the time she reaches her prime, he’ll be physically useless.
Agreed the law is the law…but the age difference is not a big deal.
A 72 year old man recently became a father and there are celebrities who are married to women with a much greater age difference. So don’t go there.
The previous poster is right.
Did he really do it for love or was it simply a move to help him evade prosecution?
Either way I don’t care. like you said the Law is the law no matter if you are using it to prosecute or protect.
I doubt your last sentence makes sense. There is a little blue (or purple) pill that will make that sentence moot. By then it will be a superpill. We haven’t cured cancer or AIDs but priorities have cured this problem virtually lol
Not man enough to handle women his age ??? He is a CHILD MOLESTER. Send him to jail !
Why is just his fault? She consented and, legally, was old enough to engage in sexual intercourse with him. She knew exactly what she was doing and she is just as guilty as he is. If they want to have a completely dysfunctional relationship, let them. They made their bed and they can now lie in it together.
it’s alabama for petes sake that sort of thing is normal down there and a minor only has to be 16 to have a sexual relationship she is the one that should be ashamed for seducing him
No, it’s not “normal” down here! Ignorant of you to say that.
What a ignorant person you are felix. Research shows that more child sexual assaults happen in the Northeastern states than any other region in the U.S. Are you really that dumb?
Is anyone surprised this is happening in the SOUTH??
Too much fried food fries the brain of southern folks who often behave in a unsocial and uncivilized matter. just look at the news.
Kylie Jenner is doing the same thing with Tyga.
But they are on TV and America loves the Jenners and Kardashians no matter what madness they come up.
dumb comment. The age gap is not nearly as great and young men are already much more immature than women that it makes them nearly equals. The deal here is not the age difference but his superior/fiduciary relationship as a teacher over a student. In the army we can not fraternize with our recruits. It doesn’t matter that they may be of age or even just a few years younger. What about if he is her actual teacher (I don’t know if she was actually in his class)and she got preferential treatment over other girls?
They look good together, leave them alone.
At least they asked God to bless their union and didn’t have babies out of wedlock.
I don’t care about laws, age or whatever. This guy is a jerk looking for a excuse this isn’t love cause the guy is a turd. The Girl is delusional an she is blinded an hasn’t faced the real world yet. The relationship is doomed an usually it doesn’t last. One way or the other she will get tired or he will. Mark it!!
This pervert took advantage of a young woman. You aren’t mature at that age and he probably makes all her decisions for her. He could be her father. Where are her parents????
Adultery is horrible for the ex-wife to go through, but realizing your ex-husband is a pedafile is even worse? And the ex-wife is an attractive woman with a nice figure, and if she gripped about him not taking trash out, perhaps he should be man enough to realize himself that it needed to be done since she brought home majority of the income while he was putting his nasty self through school. Humiliating for the child as well. I wouldn’t want to claim him as my father. Merriam-Webster defines pedophilia as when an ADULT (38 – hum = adult) desires or engages in sexual relations with a child (17 – hum = child). SICK!!!! All supporters, check back in with us in 15-20 years when his (58) nasty self can’t keep up with her (37), and she does to him what he did to his first wife. Even with the little “purple pills”, he’ll probably have a heart condition from not being able to keep up all those years and won’t be able to take them! Remember KARMA! Additionally, how will she feel when she’s mature enough to realize that part of her teen years were taken from her. Would he want some 30 year old man coming on to his young daughter? Guess what? That’s about the age difference. YUCK!!!!!!! And yes, the girl consented, but her level of maturity doesn’t allow her to fathom what she’s done. I question why the parents aren’t prosecuting. Yes, I know state uses the age of 16; however, parents can file for sodomy charges and this covers many areas. If he was going to do this, do it at ages 60 and 40 when both parties are full adults and can realize more what the consequences are. OOPS – that’s right, unless money and security are involved, 40 year old women don’t want 60 year old men!