WEST BRANCH, MI -- Looking dejected and slumped in stature, a middle school teacher learned how much prison time he'd get for repeatedly having sex with a student. Despite his crime though, the minor's mother insisted her daughter was no victim, but a survivor.

Wearing an orange jumpsuit, shackles and a few days' stubble, 31-year-old Vaughn J. Canamore on Wednesday, Sept. 7, stood before Ogemaw County Circuit Judge Robert W. Bennett for sentencing. The judge sentenced him to concurrent terms of 98 months to 15 years and 210 months to 40 years in prison, with credit for 212 days already served.

Canamore's victim was a student at Charlton Heston Academy in St. Helen, where Canamore was a teacher, police have said. Judge Bennett said the sexual contact began at the school, before Canamore on at least four occasions picked up the girl as she sneaked out of her house and took her to his West Branch home.

Canamore's attorney, William D. Engemann, said there is no doubt his client has caused pain, anguish, sadness and anger to his victim and her family. Regardless of the havoc he wreaked, Canamore was ready to face the music, Engemann said.

"He has been forthcoming," he said. "He stood in front of this court and admitted his actions."

He asked the judge to impose a sentence focusing on rehabilitation as much as punishment.

"His life is a question mark of what he can make of it now," Engemann said.

Given the opportunity to speak, Canamore expressed contrition in a meek voice.

"It was wrong," he said, barely audible. "I was weak. It was extremely inappropriate. It was horrendous. I'm not trying to play games or prolong this procedure. I accept the consequences. I'm going to live this for the rest of my life. Nothing changes that. I wish I could fix the wrong that I've done. I'm truly sorry for what happened."

Ogemaw County Prosecutor LaDonna A. Schultz said Canamore put it best when he described his actions as "horrendous."

"He betrayed the trust of the school, of families, and of the victim," she said. "This woman sent her child to school to learn. She had faith in the system. Instead, every day, her child went in a classroom with a pedophile. It was not just a momentary lapse in his discretion. It was a continuous pattern of child abuse and lasted for a period of time."

Schultz read from a letter written by Canamore's victim's mother. In it, the mother said she hated Canamore for what he did.

"You are a very sick man and I hope you never see outside the walls of where you're going," the mother's letter read. "My family is trying to move on and I think therapy is working, but it's ongoing. My daughter will become a stronger adult. She's not a victim; she's a survivor."

Schultz then read a poem written by the victim, entitled "Betrayal," in which she detailed being misled and taken advantage of by Canamore.

"It's clear to me from listening to her poem that she's a very gifted young woman and hopefully her future is still bright," the judge said. "Hopefully, this hasn't crippled her. You were her teacher, her guide. Her family trusted you and you violated that trust in the worst way possible, short of actually killing her. She is going to live with this the rest of her life."

The mother is not named because MLive-The Bay City Times does not name sexual assault victims, and naming the mother in this case could identify the victim.

Upon release, Canamore must both register as a sex offender and wear an electronic monitoring device for the rest of his life.

Canamore in August pleaded guilty to one count each of first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim between the ages of 13 and 15. In exchange, the prosecution agreed to dismiss two more counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

In Roscommon County, Canamore in July pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a student.

On Tuesday, Judge Bennett acted as Roscommon County Circuit Court judge in sentencing Canamore to 85 months to 15 years in prison, with credit for 211 days already served.