Former Starr's

Mill High School teacher Laura Voyles received three years probation Monday

after pleading guilty to having sex with a person in custody.

Voyles, 38,

was arrested in December after it came to light that she was having a

sexual affair with a 17-year-old student who was in one of her classes

both last year and this year. She resigned after being questioned about

the matter by Principal Sam Sweat.

District Attorney

William McBroom said Voyles avoided jail time because both the victim

and his family argued vehemently that she not be sent to prison.

According to

Georgia law, any custodian who has sex with an enrolled student would

qualify for these charges, even if the victim consented to the alleged

sexual activity.

The guilty

plea, which serves as a conviction, means it is likely that Voyles' teaching

career is effectively over.

The investigation

was triggered when the victim's parents approached school officials with

evidence of the affair: taped phone conversations between Voyles and the

student.

Voyles, who

taught advanced placement and gifted English courses, had been with the

school system for 12 years.

Detectives

with the Fayette County Sheriff's Department said there is evidence that

the affair between Voyles and the student lasted for approximately one

year.

According to

the warrants for Voyles' arrest, at least one of the alleged incidents

took place at her home. Investigators do not have any evidence that any

impropriety took place on school grounds, according to officials.