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Former Taylor High School teacher, coach sentenced to 2 years in prison for sex with student

Posted at 12:23 PM, Jul 11, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-11 22:38:54-04

CINCINNATI -- A former Taylor High School teacher and coach was sentenced to two years in prison Tuesday for a sex crime involving a student.

Kevin Murphy, who taught at Three Rivers Schools for 21 years, taught social studies and coached football. In November, he was charged with six counts of sexual battery involving a student. He also needs to register as a Tier III sex offender for the rest of his life.

His arrest shook the Three Rivers School District, according to Superintendent Craig Hockenberry.

"Situations like this are hard to detect anywhere, let alone with your most cherished employees,” Hockenberry said. "We’ve done a lot of reflecting. 'What can we do moving forward? What did we learn from this?'"

Murphy ended up pleading guilty to two counts; the other four were dropped as part of a plea deal. If found guilty of all charges, he could have received a 30-year sentence.

"There was a point in (Murphy's) life where he was having troubles, all kinds of emotional and psychological troubles, for which he's seeking help," his attorney said in court Tuesday.

A friend of Murphy, a former male student and an assistant coach all spoke on is behalf at his sentencing hearing on Tuesday.

L.J. Rice, a former student, called Murphy "the father I never had."

"Until coach Murphy came into my life, I was just another poor, hot-headed kid in Cleves," Rice said. "(Murphy) made me believe in myself and believe that I could prove all those people wrong."

Murphy's attorney said the sexual relationship was a "one-time thing that will affect him for the rest of his life."

The prosecution noted that the relationship was not a one-time thing, saying it extended over the course of six months.

"I did a terrible thing, there's no excuse for it," Murphy said. "I'm going to counseling now, we go to church every Sunday...I accept full responsibility for what I did."