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(NewsDakota.com) – Former Jamestown teacher Richard Allen Laqua pleaded guilty Monday in Stutsman County District Court to luring a minor by computer or other electronic means and will serve 60 days in jail.

The 54-year-old Laqua reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, who dropped a charge of sexual assault in exchange for the guilty plea to luring. Judge Thomas E. Merrick accepted the plea agreement and sentenced Laqua to serve one year with the department of corrections, with all but 60 days suspended. He will serve those 60 days at the Stutsman County Correctional Center starting Tuesday, and will receive work release.

Laqua admitted Monday to sending sexually explicit text messages to a minor “Jane Doe” on or about Nov. 7-8, 2011. Some of the text messages were invitations for her to take part in sexual acts with him.

Laqua will also be on supervised probation for five years following his release, and will be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years.

Judge Merrick told Laqua Monday that his probation would likely be watched very closely, not only by his parole officer but also by members of the community.

“Your life has taken a sharp left turn here, and I think you’re more aware of that than anyone,” Merrick said.

Laqua was a teacher at James Valley Career and Technology Center and a 23-year veteran of Jamestown Public Schools prior to the allegations surfacing in November. He was suspended after the allegations surfaced and resigned from his job as construction technology teacher soon after.

On Monday, he issued an apology during a short statement at his hearing.

“What I did was wrong and I want to apologize to everybody… I hope this doesn’t diminish the good things I’ve done with my life, because I want to continue doing good things with my life.”