LISBON A retired Lisbon teacher pled guilty on Friday to 45 child pornography charges.

Columbiana County Assistant Prosecutor Steve Yacovone tells 21 News 69-year-old James Watt pled guilty to 30 counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor and 15 counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance.

Watt is scheduled to be sentenced January 9. Yacovone says the prosecution will be recommending a sentence of 25 years in prison, but the defense is expected to argue for a lesser sentence.

Watt was charged after police seized 18 devices from him after receiving a "cyber tip" that Watt possessed obscene material involving children in October of 2024.

Watt was a former STEM teacher, as well as track and field coach at David Anderson Jr. Sr. High School in Lisbon for more than three decades.

The school's superintendent previously told 21 News they had no reasonable record to believe any students were victimized during his time at the school.

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