Former Heritage High School teacher Leslie Howard Mosley Jr. will spend the next ten years in prison for having an intimate relationship with a female student in his class.

Mosley pled guilty to one count of child molestation and one count of sexual assault by a person with supervisory or disciplinary authority before Superior Court Judge Robert Mumford Thursday morning. The married father of two will be 47-years-old when he get out of prison and he will never be allowed to teach again. He was sentenced to 15 years and will serve 10 in prison with the two sentences being served concurrently.

"The emotional toll this has taken on (the victim) and her family is immeasurable," Assistant District Attorney Dabney Kentner told the court before presenting a letter from the female student's parents describing the effect the affair had on their family. While the female student was not in court, her parents sat stoically in the front row on the opposite side of the courtroom from Mosley and stared straight ahead during the hearing. Mosley's father and mother were also present for the sentencing but only Assistant D.A. Kentner, Defense Attorney David LaMalva and Mosley spoke during the proceedings.

Mosley cried while reading his written statement but was not allowed to face the student's parents, instead facing Judge Mumford while apologizing to the court and the families involved, including his mother who wept openly behind him.

"I do want the family and everyone in my family to know how sorry I am, and I want the family to know I have been praying for their healing and their peace," Mosley said. "This event is going to be with me until the end of my days on earth and I will forever be sorry for sinning against everyone and God. I made the worst decision of my life with one of the best people in my life. I never wanted this outcome for anybody involved. I am sorry to my children, my wife, my friends and the community for the disturbance, and I am even sorry to myself. I am only human and flawed by nature, but my spirit is not ill. I pray for your mercy and forgiveness, even if it is eventual, because it will never arrive too late."  

The affair between Mosley and the female student was reportedly consensual and had been going on for at least the 2011-2012 school year. However, the age of consent is 16 and the affair allegedly started while the student was 15. Heritage students aware of the relationship notified school officials who in turn contacted authorities.

The intimate activity between Mosley and the student was conducted off campus, according to Rockdale County Sheriff's Office investigators. The investigation uncovered nearly 100,000 Facebook messages between the two.

Mosley was charged with teacher/administrator having sexual contact with a student since he was in an administrative role as a teacher. The student was enrolled as a student in his class twice, said Rockdale County Sheriff's Office Lt. Mathew Wolfe in a previous interview.

The investigation did not uncover other students being sexually contacted.

Mosley began working with the Rockdale County Public School system in August 1999 and had been a fine arts teacher at Heritage High School since July 2006. Mosley had turned in his resignation just before his March 30, 2012 charges but the resignation was turned down and he was instead terminated. He moved from Covington to Vidalia following his arrest.

"This series of events and romantic involvement was admitted to by Mr. Mosley and the term 'romantic' is the adjective that describes this from his stand point," Mosley's defense attorney told the court Thursday before the judge sentenced the former teacher. "He was a teacher for 13 years prior to this and was not implicated as or assessed as a predator or a school threat. This was isolated, and while absolutely illegal, we ask the court to understand that perspective."