KETTERING — A former middle and high school choir teacher will spend time behind bars after being convicted of sexual abuse.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6, Matthew Koehler was the choir director at Kettering middle and high school, and pleaded guilty to six sex-related charges.
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Koehler asked the judge to grant him only probation, but that is not what he received.
“And I still don’t hear you getting what you did wrong,” Judge Kimberly Melnick said in court.
Melnick said she saw two sides of Koehler, a man that tried to help his students and a man that doesn’t understand the weight of his actions.
Kettering police began investigating Koehler after a former student claimed he was contacting her inappropriately. Officers used a search warrant and discovered child pornography on Koehler’s phone and computer.
His lawyer said he pleaded guilty only to those charges, but insisted he did nothing wrong at the school.
“He was very caring. Everyone loved having Mr. Koehler as a teacher,” fellow Kettering schools teacher Rebecca Soloman said.
Prosecutors pushed Soloman’s claims.
“Are you aware that the victims in this child sexual abuse material were as young as the age of eight?” the prosecutor asked Soloman.
“No,” Soloman said.
The judge offered to let Koehler speak on his own behalf.
“I wanted to say that I’ve made mistakes and I know that I’m going to have a real hard time forgiving myself for,” Koehler said.
Judge Melnick told Koehler he focused on himself too much and didn’t spend enough time thinking about how wrong he was to download child porn, which he claimed was accidental.
“They were on two separate devices and they were saved,” Melnick said. “That shows the court you’re not being honest with the court.”
The judge sentenced Koehler to two and a half years in prison, and Koehler was taken into custody.
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