Former Teacher Sentenced to 20 Years

Twenty years in the department of corrections with credit for time already served…that’s the fate for a former School of the Osage teacher sentenced in Miller County Circuit Court, Friday, on a sex-related charge involving a student. Mark Edwards had originally been charged with one count each of statutory sodomy with a person under the age of 14 and sexual contact with a student. As the case progressed, two more charges including child molestation and another count of sexual contact with a second student were filed against Edwards, with a motion granted for the cases to be considered separately by the court. Edwards then entered a negotiated plea in November to one count of statutory sodomy or attempted statutory sodomy-deviate sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 14.  Prosecutor Ben Winfrey says there are still two charges pending.