TOPEKA, Kan. — A former substitute teacher who worked with special-needs students at multiple Topeka-area schools has been sentenced to more than five years in prison after pleading guilty to a felony sex crime involving a child.
James Lee Hankensiefken was sentenced Aug. 14 to 66 months in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections following his guilty plea to aggravated indecent liberties with a child, a severity-level 3 person felony.
The conviction involved sexual intercourse with a child who was 14 or older but younger than 16, according to court records.
Hankensiefken had a criminal-history classification of H. A public presentence investigation placed the applicable sentencing range at 61 to 71 months, with 66 months identified as the standard sentence. The judge ultimately imposed that 66-month prison term.
In addition to his prison sentence, court records indicate Hankensiefken will be subject to lifetime post-release supervision and lifetime offender registration requirements.
Plea Agreement Resolved Additional Charge
The conviction came as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Hankensiefken pleaded guilty to the aggravated indecent liberties charge, while prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining charge or charges covered by the agreement.
Court records show the case had also included a severity-level 3 person felony charge of criminal sodomy involving a child who was 14 or older but younger than 16.
That distinction is important: Hankensiefken was not convicted of the dismissed allegation. His prison sentence stems from the aggravated indecent liberties conviction to which he pleaded guilty.
Worked as Substitute Teacher Before Arrest
The case drew particular attention because of Hankensiefken’s employment before his arrest.
Hankensiefken worked as a substitute teacher, including assignments involving special-needs students, and had worked at multiple schools in the Topeka area.
His position placed him in educational environments serving children before the criminal case resulted in his arrest.
There is an equally important distinction, however: the court documents reviewed by This Is Topeka do not, by themselves, establish that the victim in the criminal case was one of Hankensiefken’s students or that the offense occurred as part of his work as a substitute teacher.
This Is Topeka is therefore not making such a connection.
More Than Five Years Behind Bars
The 66-month sentence amounts to five years and six months in prison, before accounting for any applicable jail-time credit or other adjustments permitted under Kansas law.
The consequences of the conviction will extend well beyond that prison term.
With lifetime post-release supervision and lifetime registration requirements reflected in the court records, Hankensiefken will continue to face significant restrictions and supervision following his eventual release from prison.
The Aug. 14 sentencing effectively brings the prosecution phase of a case This Is Topeka has followed since Hankensiefken’s arrest to a close.
This is a developing update to our previous coverage. This Is Topeka will continue reviewing the court record and update this story if additional information becomes available.
