HANOVER, April 2: A court in Germany sentenced a law professor to three years in prison for giving students better marks in exchange for sex and money.

The 53-year-old from the central city of Hanover admitted accepting 156,000 euros ($244,000) in total for awarding doctorates to students who failed to make the grade.

The man also told the court in nearby Hildesheim he had given female students better marks in return for sex.

The academic, whom the court on Wednesday convicted on 68 counts of corruption, said he had resorted to taking bribes because he was having financial difficulties.

His net monthly salary of nearly 5,000 euros had not been sufficient to pay off his debts, the court heard.—Reuters