GONZALES — A former Ascension Parish middle school teacher's aide accused of sharing photos of students with a child molester has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for testifying against the man. 

Court records show that Heather French, 36, pleaded guilty March 18 to conspiracy to commit indecent behavior with a juvenile and was sentenced to received seven years in prison, with five of those suspended, and three years probation. 

WBRZ reported that French, a former paraprofessional at Galvez Middle School, was arrested in February 2022 after Douglas Decuir, 42, was charged in the same case. 

French was originally charged with child pornography and video voyeurism charges, as well as being accessory to two counts of first-degree rape involving a child under the age of 13. 

Decuir is accused of raping two children. He was booked on first-degree rape, child pornography, indecent behavior with juveniles, obstruction of justice and inciting a felony, according to the the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office.

French had sent pictures of students to Decuir and they had exchanged lewd comments in text messages, the sheriff's office said. Detectives also reportedly located child pornography on French's cell phone, but it did not involve any Galvez students.

Decuir is still awaiting trial.