FORT PIERCE, Fla. – A former teacher at Florida’s Marine and Oceanographic Academy magnet school will spend the rest of his life behind bars for molesting numerous students.

A St. Lucie County jury found former English teacher Dan Allen Hussan, 71, guilty of seven charges of lewd conduct with a victim under 18 and nine counts of molesting kids between the ages of 12 and 16 on July 28, and he was sentenced to life in prison on Monday morning by Circuit Judge James McCann, the Treasure Coast Palm reports.

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Parent Patricia Scaringi spoke at Hussan’s sentencing about how his sexual attack on her daughter shattered the girl’s ability to trust people, and left her dependent on medications and therapy to deal with the aftermath.

“My daughter is scarred for life,” Scaringi said. “His family is ruined, but all our families are ruined, as well. All these girls – their lives will never be the same.”

Hussan was initially arrested in March of 2014 after six teenage girls contacted the St. Luice County Sheriff with a variety of accusations against the teacher, from hugs and special privileges for girls in his class to after school trips in his vehicle, where he allegedly touched two girls on the thighs inappropriately.

One of the girls took a picture of Hussan touching her friend’s thigh that was used as evidence in his trail.

Other girls testified that he kissed and hugged them, including one girl who testified that she “made out” with her teacher in his classroom and vehicle. The teen said she was initially a willing participant, lied to police about their relationship, and attempted to hide their text conversations before her father forced her to come forward, the Treasure Coast Palm reported in July.

“Every day, I’d get a peck, and then it progressed,” the girl said. “One day, he texted that ‘I’m not going to let anyone else in the classroom’ (before class or during lunch), and that’s exactly what he did.”

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At least one parent defended Hussan during his sentencing, alleging “he’s not a pervert” and that his habit of close contact while talking can be misconstrued as “intimate.”

“I never had any qualms about my daughter being alone with him,” Tamara Herb told the court.

Hussan’s wife and daughter alleged the former teacher’s convictions stem from a revenge plot orchestrated by students in retaliation for discipline, and called for leniency at his sentencing.

“My dad has a heart of gold,” daughter Lisa Hussan said. “My dad also loves children (and) his family.”

“He respected his students and treated them fairly,” wife Lynda said. “He strove for excellence and expected the same in return.”

Hussan told the judge the ordeal “has been a nightmare,” and his attorney Karen Tufte vowed to appeal his conviction this week.

“I am not guilty of these charges,” Hussan said.

Assistant State Attorney Anastasia Norman pointed out that testimony and evidence presented against Hussan proved he “was convincingly predatory,” WPTV reports.

“We had girls who had recently had him as a teacher. We had girls who had him years before who all told us the same story of how he was acting with the touching, the comments,” Norman said.

Scaringi said Hussan “got exactly what he deserved” when McCann handed down the sentence of life in prison Monday.

“Justice prevailed,” she said.