The Arkansas Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of a former Greenwood teacher who was found guilty of having sex with a 14-year-old student.

The judges upheld a Sebastian County Circuit Court's conviction of Deanna Bobo on two counts of first-degree sexual assault. Bobo was sentenced to two consecutive six-year prison terms, one for each of two counts of first-degree sexual assault.

A jury found that Bobo, a teacher at Raymond G. Wells Junior High School, had sex with the then-14-year-old student on two occasions in 2005. Bobo has denied having sex with the student.

The appeals court rejected Bobo's argument that the lower court abused its discretion by admitting into evidence 19 e-mails exchanged between her and the victim and allowing the jury to hear her request during a recorded statement to speak with an attorney.

In January, the sate Board of Education revoked Bobo's teaching license. Bobo did not contest the revocation.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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