Teacher gets lifetime probation for having sexual contact with foreign exchange student

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) - A former Arizona elementary school teacher who pleaded guilty to sexual conduct with a 17-year-old foreign exchange student from Sweden has been sentenced to lifetime probation.

Maricopa County Superior Court officials say 36-year-old Joshua Schroder was sentenced Thursday and must register as a sex offender.

He pleaded guilty last month to two counts of sexual conduct with a minor.

Goodyear police arrested Schroder in February on suspicion of nine counts of sexual conduct with a minor and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Schroder taught at Rainbow Valley Elementary School and was the coordinator of a foreign exchange student program.

Police say the girl allegedly exchanged more than 600 text messages with Schroder in the span of a month before the relationship allegedly turned sexual.