A judge has sentenced a New Jersey yeshiva teacher to nearly 13 years in prison after refusing to let him withdraw his guilty plea to sexually abusing a child.

 

Yosef Kolko appeared in court Thursday. He says he was pressured by members of his Orthodox Jewish community to plead guilty.

The judge sentenced the 39-year-old Kolko to 12 years and nine months after a hearing that lasted hours. Kolko declined to speak in court.

Kolko pleaded guilty in May while he was on trial on several counts including aggravated sexual assault. The crimes allegedly involved an 11-year-old boy Kolko met at a camp in 2007.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)

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