Published: September 14, 2007 01:03 pm      

Basse pleads guilty, gets three years in prison

By Kelly Young

news@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Bryan Basse, former world geography teacher at Rusk High School, pleaded guilt in court Thursday to charges of indecency with a child and improper relationship by an educator with a student, both second-degree felonies.

Basse was sentenced to three years in prison for each charge, with the two sentences being served concurrently.

“Compared to what ministers and other teachers who have been convicted of the same offenses seem to be getting recently, three years was a very successful outcome to this case,” said District Attorney Elmer Beckworth.

The prosecution was led in court by Assistant District Attorney Rachel Patton-Rogers. Basse’s defense lawyer at trial was Frank Jackson of Dallas.

Basse was arrested in February after an investigation by the Rusk Independent School District discovered he had been having an inappropriate relationship with one of his female students. Basse had taught at RHS since 2000.