High school counselor pleads guilty to multiple sex crimes involving teen she was meant to help

A North Carolina high school counselor and volleyball coach was sentenced to up to 40 years in prison after admitting to sexually abusing a teenage student she was supposed to help with anxiety, authorities said.

Jessica Patrick Finley pleaded guilty Thursday to multiple felony sex offenses involving a minor, including six counts of statutory sex offense with a child, eight counts of indecent liberties with a child, sex act with a student and offenses involving a child under the age of 15, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI).

Finley, who worked at McDowell High School, was accused of grooming a 14-year-old student during the 2023–24 school year, initiating inappropriate communications that escalated into sexual encounters, investigators said.

The abuse allegedly took place in part inside Finley’s school office, where the student had initially sought counseling support.

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During victim impact statements, the teen’s sister described Finley as "a predator… lurking behind the walls of the counseling office, waiting for a victim," McDowell News reported.

"We would have beat the door hinges off that building to save her from that monster," the girl’s mother said.

Court documents obtained by local station WLOS reportedly showed the relationship included explicit text messages discussing sexual encounters and future acts, with prosecutors saying many of the encounters occurred after the victim turned 15.

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Finley also told the student she planned to leave her husband and children to be with her, according to court filings.

The relationship came to light after the teen’s parents discovered the messages and reported them to authorities, prompting Finley’s resignation from McDowell County Schools in February 2024.

The NCSBI launched an investigation at the request of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, ultimately charging Finley with numerous sex crimes.

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Finley initially declined a plea agreement in April 2025 and attempted to have her bond reduced, which was denied.

She ultimately pleaded guilty to all charges in superior court on Thursday.

"I would just like to say I am so sorry for my actions and the things I have caused, for the pain I have caused," Finley reportedly said in court.

She was sentenced to a minimum of 28 years and four months and a maximum of 40 years and six months in prison.