Indiana teacher is sentenced to four years in prison for molesting a 13-year-old girl in his classroom and watching her perform sex acts on video chat

Eric M. Gerdes, 39, was sentenced to four years in prison and two years probation on one count of sexual misconduct with a minor

A former Indiana teacher has been sentenced to four years in prison for sexually abusing one of his sixth grade students in the classroom. 

Eric M. Gerdes, 39, of Huntington, Indiana, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual misconduct with a minor in October. 

He was sentenced to four years in prison and two years of probation on Monday.

Gerdes was a teacher at Imagine Master Academy, a public charter school in Fort Wayne, from 2011 to 2013, according to a probable cause affidavit, WANE reported.  

At some point during that period, Gerdes had sexual contact with one of his sixth-grade students in his classroom, the affidavit states.

The student, who was about 13 years old at the time, said that Gerdes had forced her to carry out sexual activities in the classroom. 

Gerdes allegedly had sexual contact with a 13-year-old student in his classroom at Imagine Master Academy in Fort Wayne, while he taught there between 2011 and 2013

Court documents revealed that Gerdes also allegedly watched the girl performing explicit sexual acts via video chat on multiple occasions, WPTA21 reported. 

Imagine Master Academy closed in 2013, due to low academic performance, and Gerdes went on to other teaching positions, including one at the Huntington County Community School Corporation, at Crestview Middle School in Huntington.  

Gerdes was originally charged with two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, one count of child molesting, one count of vicarious sexual gratification and one count of dissemination of matter harmful to minors.

As part of his plea deal, authorities dropped four of those charges. 

His one count of sexual misconduct with a minor is a Class C felony.