J.D. Gallop

FLORIDA TODAY

Update: Wednesday, May 4 at 9:35 a.m.

A judge on Wednesday sentenced Dennis Turner to 20 years in state prison and 10 years supervision as a sex offender. Turner, a former drama teacher, was convicted of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with an underage student between 2003 and 2006.

Update: Wednesday, May 4 at 9:30 a.m.

Turner, sitting at the defense table, told the judge that he was sorry for his actions and that he would not do it again. "I made a mistake. You can't change who you are..."

Update: Wednesday, May 4 at 8:50 a.m.

The sentencing hearing began at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday for Dennis Turner, the drama teacher who investigators said carried on a sexual relationship with an underage student.

Several former students took to the stand to offer character statements for Turner.

"I owe him so much," one woman told the judge before her voice trailed off in tears.

The sentencing could take place later this morning.

Original report

A one-time drama coach suspected of engaging in a three-year long sexual relationship with a female student, moved to take a state plea, just hours from jury selection getting underway in his trial.

Dennis Dean Turner, who taught at Edgewood Junior/Senior High in Merritt Island, asked a judge if it was not too late to accept the plea deal that had been offered several months ago by prosecutors. He had potentially faced up to 758 years in state prison if convicted by a jury on the 60 counts of first-degree sexual battery. Instead Turner, 60, opted to plead guilty to ten of the counts, court officials say.

"The decision started more on Friday. That's when we put the state on notice that we probably would accept the plea deal," said Greg Eisenmenger, Turner's criminal defense attorney.

Continued below

The plea deal - with Turner admitting guilt - allows for the judge to sentence Turner to a minimum of 15 years in state prison with the remaining balance of a 30-year sentence made up of either more prison time or sexual offender-related probation, officials reported. Brevard Circuit Judge James Earp immediately scheduled Turner for sentencing at 8 a.m. Friday at the Moore Justice Center.

Brevard County sheriff’s deputies began investigating the case in 2012 after learning of allegations that Turner, who remains married, carried on a romantic relationship with the victim that turned sexual following her 15th birthday, reports show. Turner, who had been warned by school officials as far back as 2004 about not being alone with female students or allowing students to sleep at his home, was arrested July, 2012.

The victim told authorities that Turner committed sexual acts with her on a near daily basis during school hours, including in the classroom where he also taught drama, reports show.

The investigation also showed that Turner crept into her home after school hours to engage in sexual acts, reports show. The contact lasted between 2003 to 2006, investigators reported.

Last week, as the prosecutors and defense attorneys reviewed evidence for the trial, tapes of several recorded phone calls between Turner and the student were played. "We reviewed the telephone calls. He had previously heard them but we came to the conclusion that there was some significant risk of the jury reading into the recordings something that (Turner) didn't intend," Eisenmenger said.

The plea deal also means that the victim will be spared from having to testify to jurors about the contact. Turner is being held at the Brevard County Detention Center in Sharpes pending his sentencing.

Contact Gallop at 321-242-3642, jdgallop@floridatoday.com and Twitter@JDGallop