A former Minnesota teacher of the year was found guilty Wednesday of sexually abusing a child while she was his student in 2017.

Soon after the guilty verdict was read aloud by the judge, a Hennepin County sheriff’s deputy entered the courtroom to put Abdul J. Wright, 39, in handcuffs. He walked Wright out of the courtroom and into custody, where Wright awaits sentencing next month.

Under state guidelines, Wright will likely face 12 to14 years of prison for first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Last year, county prosecutors charged Wright after the mother of his former student reported the abuse. The mother recorded two phone conversations from May 2024 in which Wright “admitted to having sexual intercourse” with the victim, according to court documents.

The woman, now 22, was in eight

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