Former Coach/Teacher Sentenced for Child Porn Charges

By Yasmeen Elayan

Published: August 19, 2008

A convicted child pornographer could spend up to 26 years behind bars. A federal judge sentenced Michael Noel to 312 months in prison… followed by supervised release.

The former Hawkins County teacher and coach pled guilty in April to receiving child pornography and impeding an investigation.
Federal agents say Noel had more than 9,000 images of child pornography on his computer.

Noel’s legal troubles aren’t over. Earlier this year,  the families of five Hawkins County students sued Noel and the Hawkins County Board of Education
for 65 million dollars.
Their attorney claims the district knew there were complaints about Noel… and the the school board is partly responsible for Noel’s actions.

An attorney for the county says the school board followed all of its policies…and did everything it could to ensure the safety of the children.