Teacher who sexually abused a troubled inmate at a Kentucky juvenile detention center — and then asked him to kill her husband

A married teacher who sexually abused a troubled inmate at a Kentucky juvenile detention center — and then asked him to kill her husband — will spend more than a decade in prison.

On November 13, 2025, 27-year-old Elena Bardin, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after a jury convicted her of first-degree sexual abuse and unlawful transaction with a minor for having explicit sexual contact with a 17-year-old boy at the Adair County Juvenile Detention Center in Columbia, where she taught English.

Bardin was also accused of asking the teen to murder her husband, but the jury acquitted her of that charge.

In April, Bardin was busted when a routine search of the teen’s room at the lock up uncovered about 193 sexually explicit letters and photos she had allegedly sent to him.

The judge noted that Bardin admitted to having sexual contact with the inmate in one of her letters.

“The letters you sent, which they were juicy, they were things you’d see in a triple-x movie, and completely inappropriate, obviously, and I think you know that for a young man that age,” Circuit Judge Samuel Spalding said at the sentencing.

“And for an educator, it was incumbent upon you to set a better example. I will say though, the 193 pages of letters, pictures, everything else, it depicts a very intelligent and articulate young woman who was clearly articulating her thoughts and desires to this kid.”

Spalding added that Bardin’s supervisor testified that she had been warned to end the relationship and stay away from the teen, who at one point was also moved to another section of the detention center.

“And ma’am, not only did you not heed that advice and stop, it looks to me like you actually doubled down on the behavior after that, and that is concerning,” he charged.

Authorities said the perverse letters revealed Bardin also subjected the teen to sexual contact and schemed to have him murder her spouse.

The juvenile victim testified at trial that he never planned to follow through with the alleged killing.

He told the court their relationship was just a “way to kill time while he was locked up.”

Bardin, who didn’t testify, will be required to register as a sex offender for 20 years.