Former teacher pleads guilty to child sex charges
Aug. 23—A former Coquille High School math teacher will spend close to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to encouraging child sex abuse.
Kory Lee Sturgess, 32, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of encouraging child sex abuse in the first degree and encouraging child sex abuse in the second degree in exchange for a 115-month sentence in prison.
The case stems from an arrest in October 2021 after the Coquille Police Department served a search warrant at Sturgess' home in Coquille.
The warrant was signed by a judge after police found evidence Sturgess was involved in the manufacture and distribution of child pornography, the Coquille police said at the time.
At the time, Sturgess taught algebra and geometry at Coquille High School. Sturgess was fired by the Coquille School District shortly after his arrest. At the time of his arrest, police said there was no indication Sturgess had committed crimes against local children.
Miller reported Sturgess was cooperating with police after his arrest.
In May, Sturgess was indicted by a Coos County grand jury on 30 counts — 15 counts of encouraging child sex abuse in the first degree and 15 counts of encouraging child sex abuse in the second degree.
After the indictment was released, Sturgess was arrested in Springfield and returned to Coos County on a $200,000 bond.
He will get credit for time served when he is transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to serve his 115-month sentence.
