Married special ed teacher Sonya Horn, 32, sentenced to four years for sex with her developmentally disabled student

A high school special education teacher in Ohio was sentenced to four years in prison today for sleeping with one of her developmentally disabled students.

Sonya Ho, 32, pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence by altering phone records in her bid to cover-up her encounters with the 18-year-old student. Ho also entered Alford no contest pleas to four counts of sexual battery.

The sexual abuse took place at Johnstown High School and another location from between June and October 2011. During that period, Ho got married, the Columbus Dispatch said.

“I know a lot of people are going to think because this was a female teacher and a male student it is less serious, but it’s more serious,” said Licking County Assistant Prosecutor Brian Waltz about the four-year jail term.

“This was a special needs student who was led on by her and seriously thought she was in love with him.”

Waltz added that the victim came to believe they would spend the rest of their lives together.

Ho, who had her teacher's certificate permanently revoked and will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life, broke into tears when Judge Thomas Marcelain announced her sentence, the Newark Advocate reported.

Neither she, nor her victim who was present, spoke at the hearing.

By entering an Alford plea, Ho, a former intervention specialist, does not have to admit to the sexual abuse, but concedes there's enough evidence against her for a conviction.

Even though the student was above the age of consent, it is illegal in Ohio for a teacher to have sexual contact with a student.

Abuse: Ho sexually assaulted her student at Johnstown High School on campus as well as another location

Ho's lawyer, Mark Collins, said, 'She brought shame on her profession. She is looking for a chance to make up for the trauma she caused.'

He said Ho claimed the victim was stalking her and she had to file an order of protection against him.

'I’m sure he was in love with her,' Collins said.