ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, VA (Rocktown Now) — A former Rockingham County Public Schools teacher who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a student will spend 11 years in prison.  

John Rose the Fourth pleaded guilty last September in Bedford County Circuit Court to several counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor as well as carnal knowledge and according to online records, he was sentenced yesterday.

Rose was sentenced 5 years each for 6 counts of indecent liberties to serve consecutively and 10 years (7 years suspended) each for 2 counts of carnal knowledge, for a total of 11 years.

Rose was also sentenced to seven years of supervised probation upon his release after he admitted to abusing the girl when she was 14 and 15 years old. 

The two met when he was teaching at Elkton Middle School and he brought her to Bedford County three times. 

Rose was arrested in 2024 while employed by Bedford County Schools. He was a teacher in Rockingham County until 2023.

Rose will make a plea on May 4 for 2 charges of indecent acts with a child and 2 charges of carnal knowledge without force in Rockingham County Circuit Court.