said Howard's 'egregious' behavior did not rise to level of sex crime

Spared: John R.K. Howard, 19, has pleaded guilty to felony injury to a child in connection to an Idaho high school locker room attack in which he kicked a coat hanger into a teammate's rectum

A white Idaho high school football player who was accused of raping a mentally disabled black teammate with a coat hanger in a brutal locker room attack has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and will avoid jail time.

John R.K. Howard, 19, of Keller, Texas, was originally charged with forcible sexual penetration by a foreign object after prosecutors said he kicked a coat hanger into the victim's rectum during the October 23, 2015, incident at Dietrich High School involving three male students.

But during a hearing on Friday, Deputy Attorney General Casey Hemmers said he didn't believe it was appropriate for the teenage boy to suffer the consequences of a sex offender, and so amended the charge to felony injury to a child, reported the Twin Falls Times-News via Idaho Statesman.

According to the paper, Howard submitted a modified guilty plea, in which he acknowledged he would be found guilty in a trial but maintained his innocence.

Hemmers described Howard’s behavior towards the victim as ‘egregious’ and said that it caused the other teenager a lot of suffering, but maintained that it did not constitute a sex crime.

The prosecutor also contended that the attack on the black teen by Howard and two other students was not racially motivated, reported MagicValley.com.

'This was more of a vulnerable-victim motivated crime,' Hemmers told the court. 'I think it probably would have happened to anybody that was in the same kind of circumstances and mental state as the victim here.'

Howard’s attorney, Brad Calbo, stressed that at no time was the victim pinned down, raped or subjected to forcible penetration.

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The coat hanger assault took place in a locker room at Dietrich High School (pictured in a small town in Idaho

When Howard is sentenced on February 24, he will be looking at two to three years of probation and about 300 hours of community service.

If Howard successfully completes probation, he could have his conviction dismissed.

If the Texas teen violates the conditions of his release, or commits new crimes, he could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.

During Friday's hearing, it emerged that one of Howard's alleged accomplices, 17-year-old Tanner Ward, has pleaded guilty to an amended charge in juvenile court.

Attorney R. Keith Roark, who represents the victim of the attack and his family, said on Monday his clients were outraged by the outcome of the case against John Howard.

'It’s absolutely preposterous that this kid should walk away with apparently no punishment whatsoever,' Roark told The Washington Post. 'Everyone is more concerned with these young sociopaths than the victim of their violence.'

When he is sentenced, Howard (left) is looking at two to three years of probation. Another suspect, 17-year-old Tanner Ward (right), has pleaded guilty to an amended charge in juvenile court

The victim's family filed a $10million lawsuit in civil court in May accusing the Dietrich School District of ignoring their warnings about threats, incessant taunts and racially-charged name-calling their children had endured prior to the coat hanger incident.

The black teen was adopted by a white couple after being exposed to drugs and alcohol in the womb. He has been diagnosed with disorganized schizophrenia.

The teen't parents have 20 adopted children and five biological children.

The victim's family filed a $10million lawsuit in civil court in May accusing the Dietrich School District of ignoring their warnings about racial threats

The complaint, which continues to make its way through the court system, alleged that the mentally disabled black student was called a 'n*****', a 'chicken eater', 'Kool-Aid' and 'watermelon', as well as a litany of other racial slurs by his teammates.

He also claimed in court filings that teammates would 'hump' him and simulate anal sex by jumping on him from behind during football practice.

The teammates were also alleged to have stripped the teenager naked on a bus and taken photographs of him exposed body.

He was also allegedly forced to sing a Ku Klux Klan song called Notorious KKK, which John Howard learned when he lived in Texas, as the other players displayed a Confederate flag.