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Teacher Sentenced For Sexual Assault Of A Student

DENVER (CBS4) – A teacher charged with the sexual assault of a young girl was sentenced by a judge Wednesday afternoon.

Richard Johnson was an eight-grade teacher at Rocky Heights Middle School and a basketball coach at Rock Canyon High School in Highlands Ranch. Last November the 33-year-old was arrested after he left the school district.

Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child for a relationship he had with a student who was 13 at the time. She is now 16.

The judge called it the "ultimate act of betrayal" by a teacher and then sentenced Johnson to 20 years in prison.

"Twenty years in prison, 20 years on top of that, is a just sentence, I left long ago saying right or wrong, but it's a just sentence in this case, it's not unduly harsh at all when weighed against the fact the state has authorized penalties up to a person's life for these types of offenses," said Senior Deputy District Attorney Chris Gallo.

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