SKOWHEGAN – A plea agreement has reduced the charges against a former Maine Central Institute teacher from three felonies to three misdemeanors, with a resulting sentence of 13 months in prison.

James P. Morel, 25, who now resides in Kittery but was living in an MCI dormitory at the time of the crimes, will begin serving his sentence Monday for three counts of sexual abuse of a minor. His victim was a former MCI student who was not in Morel’s classes at the time of the incidents.

Somerset County District Attorney Evert Fowle said the plea agreement was reached after consultation with the victim, who was 14 and 15 at the time of the incidents, and who now is a college student.

When confronted last year with the victim’s statements, which reportedly included taped telephone conversations in which Morel implicated himself, the teacher confessed to the crimes, according to police.

Morel earlier this year had entered a plea of not guilty to three counts of gross sexual assault, and a trial would have been held this month.

Morel was sentenced this week in Somerset County Superior Court after three charges of gross sexual assault were reduced to the three misdemeanors. Fowle said the agreement was appropriate.

“We thought this was an appropriate way to proceed. He is going to end up doing more prison time than even the victim anticipated,” said Fowle.

Morel left his teaching job at MCI last summer before school administrators were aware of the charges against him. He was hired as a math instructor after having graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington.