A former church teacher in Derwood was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing four of his underaged students.

Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Margaret Schweitzer sentenced Ervin Alfaro-Lopez, 34, of Germantown, to 55 years in prison, while suspending all but 20 years of that sentence, according to a statement from the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.

In February, Alfaro-Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a minor and three counts of third-degree sex offense.

The charges derive from the assault of four of Alfaro-Lopez’s former students who were abused between 2014 and 2018 when he was employed as a teacher at the Derwood church, prosecutors said.

The victims were between the ages of 6 and 12 when the crimes occurred. An investigation into Alfaro-Lopez began in May 2023, when a female reported being sexually assaulted by Alfaro-Lopez.

After the initial victim came forward, three more victims spoke to investigators.

Alfaro-Lopez was arrested on March 11, 2024, prosecutors said.

An attorney representing Alfaro-Lopez could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday afternoon.

Upon completion of his prison sentence, Alfaro-Lopez will be on probation for five years. He is required to register as a sex offender for life.