KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — The former director of a southeast Iowa boarding school has been sentenced to nine years in prison for child abuse despite the defense’s argument that he didn’t get a fair trial. The Hawk Eye reports that 40-year-old Benjamin Trane was sentenced Thursday. Trane was convicted in December of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of a child by a counselor and child endangerment at the now-defunct Midwest Academy. The school closed in 2016 following a federal raid to investigate abuse allegations.

Defense attorney Alfredo Parrish filed an appeal the same day to the state Supreme Court. He’s seeking to overturn the decision and have a new trial. Parrish alleged the prosecution wasn’t adequately prepared for trial and was slow to give the defense evidence needed to properly defend Trane.