A Jefferson woman has pled guilty to a serious misdemeanor charge for exploitation by a counselor.

According to court documents, 31 year-old Christina Marie Heath recently changed her plea to guilty and waived her right to a trial.  The charge stems from a relationship that the accused had with a high school male student after she lost her job as a Behavioral Health Intervention Specialist with Life Connections on May 6, 2013.

After Life Connections terminated her employment, Heath found out she was pregnant in September of 2013 and that the baby belong to her and the teenage boy.  Jefferson Police Department conducted the investigation and Chief Dave Morlan says Heath violated Iowa Code that doesn’t allow counselors that have relations with their clients until after one year of their termination of their employment.

A sentence hearing is scheduled for May 22nd.  Heath could face up to one year in prison with a maximum fine of $1,875 and register as a sex offender for ten years.