A former teacher and coach at the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind was sentenced to 20 years in state prison after pleading guilty to sodomizing a 11-year-old student, according to court records.
Robert Charles Godbold, 38, of Talladega, pleaded guilty Tuesday to sodomy and sexual act or deviant sexual intercourse with a student, according to court records. He was charged in January.
The incident involving the student occurred between May 2022 and June 2022 in Talladega County.
Following Godbold’s guilty pleas on Tuesday, Talladega Circuit Court Judge William Hollingsworth IV sentenced the former teacher and coach to 20 years in state prison.
Hollingsworth sentenced Godbold as a habitual felony offender and will have to undergo random drug testing.
The school, which said the alleged abuse did not occur on school property, said it was first told of the allegations on Sept. 26. That day, it put Godbold on administrative leave, the institute told AL.com in January. As of January, Godbold no longer worked at the school.
The organization also informed local authorities and the state Human Resources and Education Departments of the allegations.
“AIDB cooperated fully with the investigations by law enforcement and Alabama Department of Human Resources, and will continue to fully cooperate with those agencies as requested,” the institute said. “AIDB will provide ongoing counseling and support to any student or staff requesting it.”
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