High school coach faces sentencing in child sex abuse case

DOVER, Del. -- An ex-high school teacher and wrestling coach is being sentenced for sexually abusing a female student.

Richard "Dickie" Howell II faces at least six years and a maximum 120 years behind bars.

Thursday's sentencing comes after Howell pleaded guilty in February to three counts of sexual abuse of a child by a person in a position of trust, each of which carries a minimum two-year sentence, and three counts of fourth-degree rape, a felony with no mandatory prison time.

The former Caesar Rodney High School coach was arrested in January 2015 after a 17-year-old student reported that he had sex with her over several months in 2014, including encounters at school and his home. Investigators reportedly found graphic photos and videos of Howell on the girl's cellphone.