Green Hills Elementary School teacher Michael Ashley was found guilty by jury Tuesday in Harlan Circuit Court on charges of third-degree rape and third-degree sodomy. Ashley is accused of having sex with one of his students.

Following the verdict by the jury, Ashley collapsed in the courtroom and was taken to Harlan ARH Hospital's emergency room.

Ashley, 41, of Totz, was arrested by the Kentucky State Police in 2005 and charged with third-degree rape and third-degree sodomy of a 14-year-old juvenile who was one of his eighth-grade students. Ashley was investigated by KSP Det. Doyle Halcomb.

Commonwealth Attorney Henry Johnson said Ashley was tried on the two Class D felonies and found guilty by the jury. The penalty range for Class D felonies is one to five years in prison. The jury set punishment at three years on each count, to run consecutively for a total of six years in prison.

Johnson said the charges arose out of an ongoing course of conduct from December 2004 through April 2005 with the eighth-grade student.

"I think that it was a good verdict," Johnson said. "I think that they chose some compassion by not giving him the maximum of 10 years that was possible, and at the same time they recognized the seriousness of this kind of behavior and this kind of crime in recommending a consecutive term for six years."

Johnson said the parole eligibility for the sentence is 20 percent.

"Now, the way that is calculated is when someone actually goes to prison, as soon as they arrive, 25 percent of their sentence is dropped off for good time, and as long as they don't get into trouble, that shortens their time in prison, and then the 20 percent of parole eligibility is calculated on that," Johnson said.

"For a six-year sentence, he will be parole eligible in probably about a year."

Johnson said the jury went out to deliberate around 4:30 p.m.

The jury was able to return the verdict in less than four hours.

Harlan Circuit Court Judge Russell Alred ordered that Ashley be lodged in the Harlan County Detention Center until his formal sentencing date on Dec. 6. He was placed into the custody of Harlan County sheriff's deputies.

It was reported that not long after the verdict was handed down by the jury on Ashley, he collapsed in the courtroom and was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Harlan County Sheriff Marvin Lipfird said three of his deputies were at the hospital with Ashley. Sheriff's Sgt. Kenneth Sergent and deputies Silas Whitehead and Ed Taylor.

Lipfird said one of the deputies rode in the ambulance and two followed.

Ashley's condition could not be released while he was at Harlan ARH Hospital.

Ashley was released from Harlan ARH shortly after midnight. He was transported to the jail by Sergent and Whitehead.

Ashley's trial took three days to complete. It began on Wednesday, resumed on Friday and was continued to Tuesday for its completion.

Ashley has reportedly been a teacher for 13 years, including a nine-year stint at Green Hills.

Harlan County Schools attorney Johnnie Turner recently said Ashley was suspended with pay when he was first charged but was moved to suspension without pay several months ago.

A phone call made to Ashley's attorney, Otis Doan, for comment following the trial Tuesday night was not returned.