Glenvar High School's former band director pleaded guilty Thursday morning to a felony count of taking indecent liberties with a minor.

Christopher Matthew Yates, 30, received a sentence of three years in prison with all but six months suspended, and five years probation after his release.

The Botetourt County Sheriff's Office arrested Yates in December after an 18-year-old woman told an investigator that the former teacher had sexual relations with her when she was 17.

Yates, who lives in Troutville but worked in Roanoke County, apologized to the public, the Glenvar community and his former colleagues before Botetourt Circuit Court Judge Malfourd "Bo" Trumbo levied his sentence.

Summarizing the evidence against Yates, Assistant Botetourt Commonwealth's Attorney Hilary Griffith said the girl had been abandoned by her parents and was living with her sister in Salem, but her sister threw her out.

Yates and his wife took her into their home and obtained legal custody of her. At first, Yates and the girl had a relationship like that of a father and daughter, but the relationship turned sexual after she moved in with him.

Defense attorney Ronnie Clay said in court that Yates, who was jailed before his plea, has already served a significant portion of his active sentence.

Yates was briefly granted a furlough when his wife gave birth in July, but still has some jail time left before he's released, Griffith said. She noted that state sentencing guidelines in the case recommended probation only, but prosecutors believed the case deserved incarceration.

The original plea agreement called for three years probation, but Trumbo increased it to five. After consulting with Yates, Clay asked the judge to keep the agreement unchanged, but the judge refused, angrily telling Yates, "I was a former teacher."

After a brief break in the hearing, Yates agreed to the new terms.

Attorneys said Roanoke County authorities weighed the possibility of pursuing charges against Yates stemming from the same relationship, but chose not to because of the prosecution in Botetourt County.

Griffith said the woman, who The Roanoke Times is not identifying because of the nature of the case, had told authorities she wanted to go through only one trial.

The prosecutor said she had not spoken to the victim since the two sides reached a plea agreement and is uncertain where she lives now.