Teacher who sexually abused students begs judge for castration

A 32-year-old  former teacher, Mark Lua, is pleading with a Pensacola court to castrate him as a form of punishment, instead of sending him to jail for sexual abuse.

Lua, who pleaded guilty for sexually abusing his students, made the unusual request to have his testicles removed in order to dodge prison time, Pensacola News Journal reported.

“My actions were despicable. I do believe that punishment is necessary, and I am requesting chemical castration, not only as a punishment, but as an act of solidarity to show how sorry I am for everything.”

“If your honour is so inclined, I am even willing to undergo physical castration if that way I can stay home and raise my daughter,” Lua told Judge Thomas Dannheisser.

But the judge ignored his request before handing down the sentence, along with 15 years of probation.

According to the prosecutor, Erin Ambrose, Lua preyed on vulnerable girls.

“He seemed to seek out girls that came from unstable or troubled homes, he manipulated them, and he betrayed them because he was a teacher,” she told the court.

During the sentencing hearing, Lua claimed to suffer from the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis, which causes tumours.

He said he often had panic attacks during the time of the sexual abuse.

“If I’m with my family or when I might sit down and read a book, I think about the tumors, and I think ‘Oh my God, this might be my last day on earth, ” Lua said.

But Ms Ambrose brushed off his plea for sympathy.

“This condition did not seem to debilitate him while he was trolling the halls, looking for students to have sex with,” she said.