TUSCUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A former central Missouri teacher who traded academic help for sexual encounters with female students has pleaded guilty to statutory sodomy.
Mark Edwards originally was charged with four counts and was scheduled to go to trial Tuesday. Under his plea deal, prosecutors dropped child molestation charge and two counts of sexual contact with a student were sent back to the associate court for later action.
Edwards was a seventh-grade science teacher at School of the Osage. KRCG reports prosecutors alleged he would help female students with tests and assignments in exchange for being allowed to look down their shirts and touch them, to make sexually explicit or suggestive comments to them and to sexually abuse and assault them.
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 6.
A victim’s father is suing the Osage School Board, the district and several administrators.
