NATCHEZ — A former Cathedral High School teacher who pleaded guilty to having an inappropriate relationship with a student received the maximum sentence Thursday, but will spend no time behind bars.

Natchez police arrested Brett A. Hinson, 28, 2062 Viking St., Vidalia, on June 9, charging him with sexual battery following a complaint filed by the parents of a teenage Cathedral High School student.

He pleaded guilty in late August to two lesser charges of touching a child for lustful purposes after the victim’s family asked the district attorney to settle the matter without a trial.

Hinson received the maximum sentence Thursday, 30 years in prison and a $10,000 fine and court costs. The prison time was suspended, and he was sentenced to five years probation.Circuit Court Judge Forrest “Al” Johnson ordered that as a condition of his probation Hinson must have no direct or indirect contact with the victim or the victim’s family, Harper said.

“We don’t have these kind of cases very often (in Natchez),” Harper said. “But we do have them occasionally, unfortunately.”

Hinson was the assistant football and baseball coach and physical education teacher at Cathedral until early June, when he resigned.

Hinson faces similar charges in Vidalia, where an alleged incident in connection with the same case reportedly occurred.

He is set to appear before Louisiana’s Seventh Judicial District Court for arraignment in that matter Sept. 16.