Today's Lesson Don't Log On.

The 40-year-old substitute teacher from Windham was convicted two months ago of exposing seventh-graders to pornography on a classroom computer. She argues that she was a victim of a pop-up loop.

Anyone who has ever clicked on an innocent-looking icon and started a stream of smutty images that won't stop, like a drunken flasher in a store window, knows what panic they can cause -- especially at work. (Unless you work for Penthouse.)

The blogosphere is now filled with pop-up victims commiserating with Ms. Amero. Software engineers are rushing to her defense. Last week, 28 computer science professors took out an ad in The Courant on her behalf.

They all make a compelling argument for outside experts to examine the evidence.

The Norwich middle school computer she used was apparently infected with spyware, which can hide pornographic pop-ups until an inopportune moment. The school's subscription to an anti-virus filter had expired.

Though the prosecutor claimed Ms. Amero deliberately clicked on pornographic websites, experts contend that a pop-up gets logged as a website visit just by appearing on a screen. Also, pop-ups malignantly encourage clicks on a big red X that only brings up more nasty pop-ups.

Ms. Amero didn't unplug the computer, citing instructions from another teacher. She tried to block the screen from students' view, then appealed in vain for help.

The prosecution reportedly made no search for spyware or viruses. A computer expert for the defense says he was barred from presenting his findings.

Ms. Amero could face up to 40 years in prison when sentenced March 29 in Norwich Superior Court. That's more than harsh for what appears to be mere technical ineptitude.

The clamor for greater expert analysis is too great for the judicial system to ignore. Ms. Amero is such a cause celebre to the high-tech community that she even has an entry on Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia.

The lesson for subs? Skip the computer and stick with the blackboard.