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Los Gatos Mom Guilty Of Misdemeanor In Teen Sex Case

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – The Los Gatos mother accused of having sex with her son's teenage friend has been found not guilty on two felony counts of unlawful sex with a minor. However, the jury did find 48-year-old Sara Cole guilty of one misdemeanor count of molesting a child.

The seven woman, five man jury could not reach a unanimous agreement on a third felony count involving sexual intercourse, so Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Jerome Brock declared a mistrial on that count. Jury deliberations lasted two days.

KCBS' Betsy Gebhart Reports:

Cole insisted during the trial that it was the teenager, a 16-year-old friend of her son's who had assaulted her, but the prosecution said that was the first time in the case that she had made that claim.

The prosecution said that Cole and the teen had exchanged more than 5,000 texts, some of them sexually graphic, over the course of several months last year.

Since she was found guilty on the misdemeanor charge Cole will be required to register as a sex offender. She will be sentenced later this month.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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