Former Webb City teacher pleads guilty to child molestation.

A former Webb City teacher and coach pleaded guilty yesterday to a felony count of child molestation.

The plea deal involved allegations that the teacher had sexual contact with a student from the school.

29-year-old Nicholas Popejoy, or Arma, Kansas, pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree child molestation.

Originally, Popejoy faced a count of statutory sodomy in the case, which is an offence that carries up to 30 years in prison. Under his plea deal, Popejoy would face no more than 10 years.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 1st.

Previously, Popejoy was a junior high science and math teacher, coed track coach, and freshman boys basketball coach before he was dismissed in November of 2019.

Court records say that Popejoy had sexual contact with a student who was under 14 on school grounds and that the former teacher touched the boy inappropriately.

School administrators were notified of the incident the same day, and police were contacted.