Fired Monmouth County teacher pleads guilty to sexting students

29-year-old Nicholas DePue of Jackson pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of endangering the welfare of two female students, ages 16 and 17, at Monmouth Regional High School in Tinton Falls in 2015 while working there as a teacher, according to the Asbury Park Press.

DePue admitted sending inappropriate text messages and/or having physical contact with the minors.

DePue was fired after his arrest in June for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a teenage girl at the school campus. A second student came forward in July, also accusing him of having a sexual relationship with her.

The Asbury Park Press reports in exchange for DePue's guilty plea, the state has agreed to recommend a reduced sentence of five-year prison terms, to run concurrently, with no parole ineligibility. Each of the second-degree child endangerment charges carry five to 10-year prison terms. DePue also will have to register as a sex offender under Megan's law and will be under lifetime parole supervision.

DePue is tentatively scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, after undergoing an evaluation at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel.