COURTLAND, Va. (WAVY) — A Franklin High School teacher entered a plea deal in late March and was sentenced to 125 years in prison after he was arrested on 23 counts related to the possession and distribution of child pornography.
He is expected to only serve 9 years after 116 years of his sentence were suspended.
The Southampton County Sheriff’s Office says, Shawn Denne, a health and P.E. teacher at Franklin High, was arrested at his Courtland home in the 27000 block of Flaggy Run Road. He had worked with Franklin City Public Schools since 2009 according to the district’s website.
In response to the charges, Franklin City Public Schools released the following statement in June 2020.
“Franklin City Public Schools (FCPS) learned today that a teacher employed by FCPS has been charged with multiple counts of possession and distribution of child pornography. Upon learning of these charges, FCPS immediately suspended the teacher. FCPS will cooperate fully with law enforcement in the investigation of this matter.”
“We do not currently have any information to indicate that any FCPS students were involved in this individual’s alleged illegal activities. The safety and wellbeing of our students and our community are our top priority.
