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A former Jackson County sheriff’s deputy will spend 11 months on probation after pleading guilty today to a misdemeanor count of first-degree official misconduct for having sex with an unidentified woman while on duty. Todd French, 41, of the 2300 block of Highgate Street in Medford, was also ordered to pay a $100 fee and complete 100 hours of community service to the nonprofit organization of his choice during a hearing before Jackson County Circuit Judge Laura Cromwell. An Oregon State Police investigation revealed that French had a sexual relationship with a woman while on duty, according to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office. French resigned from the sheriff's office. The OSP search of French’s department-issued cellphone revealed more than 600 text messages between French and the woman, including explicit photos, between June 3 and June 18, according to the DA’s office. “I’m not going to sit here and lecture you,” Cromwell said before imposing the sentence. “I know you’re really ashamed about what happened. “I was super-disappointed to see you here,” said Cromwell, a former Jackson County deputy district attorney. Douglas County Deputy District Attorney Ian Ross, who prosecuted the case to avoid any conflict of interest, said in court that he reviewed similar cases in other counties in which defendants received similar sentences. Ross added that a bench probation and not supervised probation by a probation officer is how similar cases were handled in Douglas County. Defense attorney Peter Carini said in court that he requested no sentence in exchange for today’s plea, and left the recommendation solely up to Ross. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman.