The text messages were sent in January to a 15-year-old girl who was a student at the middle school where the then trainee teacher was working.

In one message, the 35-year-old man suggested that the girl come over and test his bed.

In another, he wrote that he and the girl ought to shower together.

The district court cleared the man of all charges, ruling that the messages weren’t of a sufficiently sexual nature to warrant a conviction.

As a result, the man was free to complete his training and receive his teacher’s license.

However, the lower court’s ruling has now been overturned by the court of appeals, which has convicted him of sexual molestation, reported the Metro newspaper.

“Being convicted of this type of crime means that he won’t be able to work in a grade school,” Lisa Öberg, in charge of Södertörn University’s teacher education, told the newspaper.

Svea Court of Appeals ruled that the man must’ve been aware that the texts violated the girl’s sexual integrity, reported Metro.

“This man is a student who’s gone against everything he’s been taught at university about acting professionally. I think that’s indefensible, and that it was right to convict him,” said Lisa Öberg.

While the man has admitted to sending the messages, he claimed they were sent as a joke.