A Northampton County judge rejected the request for house arrest from a former substitute teacher who had sex with a student in Easton Cemetery.
Kelly Aldinger told Senior Judge Leonard Zito on Friday she needed to leave Northampton County Prison in order to receive medical testing for a "questionable lymph node" on her breast and a "significant" pelvic condition.
The judge considered the request over the weekend but denied it with an order issued Wednesday.
Assistant District Attorney Tatum Wilson said Friday there's no reason why Aldinger can't leave the prison, get her medical issues addressed and then return to complete her sentence.
"I respectfully request she serve the minimum term," Wilson told the judge.
Aldinger has been in Northampton County Prison about two months and is due to be paroled March 10 at the earliest.
She's serving a three- to 23-month sentence for institutional sexual assault. The 50-year-old Palmer Township woman was a substitute teacher at Easton Area High School when she had sex with the then-17-year-old boy in the cemetery off North Seventh Street.
Letting her out of prison now would depreciate the severity of her crime, Wilson said.
Aldinger was successfully treated for breast cancer in 2007 but a mammogram found the questionable lymph node in June, according to her lawyer, Phil Lauer.
She was due to report for a follow-up exam in January but was in prison, he said. Her prison term forced her to miss an ultrasound in December for the pelvic condition, he said.
"There is some concern that pushing (the exams and tests) off yet another month may be detrimental to her health," he told the judge Friday.
Aldinger served as council president as recently as last fall at St. Paul's III Lutheran Church. She blamed her health and her failing marriage as reasons for her crime.
Lauer said Aldinger is needed at home to help care for her ailing parents. Her mother is recovering from a broken kneecap and her father has a heart condition, he said.
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Aldinger pleaded guilty to one count of institutional sexual assault, although the victim mentioned at least 15 sexual encounters over a two-year period prior to Aldinger's arrest on May 6, according to Assistant District Attorney Anthony Casola.
The sexual relationship between Aldinger and the student began in 2015. They initially met when the teen was in middle school, according to court documents.
Aldinger is suspended indefinitely from Source 4 Teachers, the company that provides substitute teachers for the Easton Area School District.
Aldinger must spend two years on probation when her parole expires. She must complete 42 hours of community service and may not supervise young people.
Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
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