Sanford sentenced; will get state cash

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A Kent County judge sentenced a former Saranac High School teacher Tuesday afternoon to six months in jail, but he'll serve that term at the same time as his nine-month jail sentence in Ionia County.

Krag Sanford, 59, is the soon-to-be father of the ex-student's baby, which the court seemed to take into account when handing down a sentence.

"There's a child I guess who's involved here likely here in the not so distant future," said the judge.

The two also filed a marriage license in Kent County in March.

Sanford admitted he had an affair with a female student in 2010 while he was a teacher in Saranac. The student was 16 years old at the time.

The guidelines for the sentencing were already set and it was unlikely Sanford would be sentenced to more than the nine months he would already have to serve.

"This is a pretty set sentence for me in this particular instance," said Kent County Circuit Court Judge Paul Sullivan, who presided over the sentencing.

The Kent County sentence was set after the Ionia County sentence as part of an agreement worked out between the defendant and prosecutors in both counties.

"Our guidelines were lower than the Ionia County guidelines," said Kent County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Chris Becker.

24 Hour News 8 uncovered Sanford will still receive his pension from the state.

A Department of Education spokesperson told 24 Hour News 8 Sanford's annual pension payment is about $21,132, but that could change if Sanford gets insurance.

Sanford will also receive retiree health coverage as well, according to the DOE spokesperson.

The only way a public employee must forfeit benefits is through a court order after the retirant enters a no contest plea for a felony.

In May, Sanford entered a no contest plea to two counts of distribution of sexually explicit visual or verbal matter to a child in Ionia County, one day after pleading no contest to accosting a minor for immoral purposes in Kent County. All those counts are felonies.

The spokesperson told 24 Hour News 8 that without a court order to do so, the department does not have the authority to stop benefits. He told us sometimes the court steps in and stops benefits, but it's rare, and the worker we talked to can't remember the last time it happened.

Prosecutors in both Ionia County and Kent County told 24 Hour News 8 the plea deals made no mention of benefit forfeiture and neither knew that was a possibility.

Sanford issued his resignation to the Saranac school board in November 2010, just days before police found out about the allegations from one of the student's family members.

Sanford told the judge he wants to get a job after getting out jail, but it won't be teaching. As part of the plea agreement, Sanford gave up his teaching certificate and had to register as a sex offender.