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Former Teacher of Year sentenced for child sex crime
Former teacher Abdul Wright was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for sexually assaulting his middle school student.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A former Minnesota Teacher of the Year was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison after he was convicted of sexually abusing his middle school student.
Abdul Wright's attorney argued for a presumptive sentence of 144 months (12 years), saying "He's done a lot of good in his life." Meanwhile, state prosecutors brought up previous sexual assault accusations during their argument for a longer sentence, asking for 172 months (more than 14 years) in prison.
"I am deeply sorry and I take full responsibility for the harm that I caused," Wright said to the student and family. The student did not appear in court but sent a written impact statement to the judge.
Judge Sarah West admonished Wright, saying, "I never know what to believe what comes out of your mouth … I have not found you credible … I hope you mean what you just said."
In addition to more than 14 years in prison, Wright is also subject to a 10-year conditional release period following his sentence. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
"You are still a risk to public safety. You are still a risk to reoffend," Judge West said.
Abdul Wright convicted of criminal sexual conduct with student
What we know:
A district judge found Abdul Wright guilty last month of sexually abusing a 14-year-old student while he was a teacher at Harvest Best Academy in Minneapolis.
The student testified during the trial how the sexual abuse lasted for nearly a year and took place on multiple occasions, including inside the classroom.
Wright was named the Minnesota Teacher of the Year for 2016. He started sexually abusing the student the following year, according to court records.
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Teacher of the Year sex abuse case
Harvest Best Academy student accused her middle school English teacher of "grooming" and sexually abusing her months after he had been named Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 2016.
What they're saying:
In her written verdict, Judge Sarah West said that recording helped prove Wright lied on the stand when he claimed his innocence.
"It appeared to this court that Mr. Wright was lying during his testimony and truthful during the record[ed] call," Judge West said.
Judge West issued the verdict because Wright waived his right to a jury trial.
Dig deeper:
A spokesperson for Harvest Best Academy said in a statement that the school is "thankful that Wright has been held accountable for his actions."
The school is also the subject of a civil lawsuit for not doing enough to protect the student.