North Ridgeville dance teacher found guilty of having sex with student

AKRON, Ohio - A Summit County jury found a dance instructor guilty of having sex with a 15-year-old male student.

Kimberly Sauto, 34, of North Ridgeville, was convicted of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a felony of the third degree.  Judge Judy Hunter revoked Sauto's bond.  She was sent to the Summit County Jail until she's sentenced in March.

Prosecutors said Sauto's husband reported the relationship to Sagamore Hills police after finding condoms in his wife's dance bag, and text messages between her and the victim.

Investigators said the victim was a student in Sauto's tap dancing class. They had sex in Sauto's car  in August 2011, according to prosecutors. During the trial, Sauto testified, but did not admit to a sexual relationship.

"The defendant admitted that she had written him love letters, admitted to text messages, admitted to kissing him, but did deny having a sexual relationship with him," said Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh.

On the witness stand, Sauto also said that she still loves the boy today, according to Bevan Walsh.

"These types of cases are always very difficult, particularly when our victim is a boy and the defendant is a female.  It's just plain wrong and it's illegal," Bevan Walsh said.

Sauto was led away in handcuffs by a deputy and also declined to comment. She'll be sentenced on March 6 and could get up to five years in prison.

Sauto is also the mother of two children, according to prosecutors.