David Janssen, 55, a former teacher and coach at Hortonville High School in Hortonville, WI, accused of sexual contact with two under-aged female students has received a delay of his previously schedule June 11 trial.

Janssen is charged with three counts of second-degree sexual assault and two counts of sexual assault of a student by school staff. The charges against Janssen are alleging two victims. One alleged victim was 13 and 14 years old in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 school years and the other alleged victim, now 24, attended Hortonville High School from 1998 to 2001.

Janssen’s attorney requested counseling records on one of the alleged victims and a postponement of the trial to allow for enough time to review those records.

Until Janssen resigned in the wake of the sex abuse allegations he was the Hortonville High girls basketball coach and the physical education teacher at the middle school.

Janssen is currently free on $10,000 bond.

Update 7/21/07:

The trial for David Janssen has been set for October 15th.

05/16/08 - David Janssen Acquitted On All Charges

Thanks to a reader whose comment appears below we are now aware that David Janssen was acquitted of all charges on 18 October, 2007.

Janssen was found not guilty of three counts of second-degree sexual assault and two counts of sexual assault by a school staff member.

Reference:

Former Hortonville coach acquitted (10/19/07)

Trial date set in Hortonville teacher sex case (7/21/07)

Trial postponed in Hortonville teacher sex abuse case

Judge postpones trial in Janssen sex abuse case

Background:

Accuser Faces Former Coach on Sex Assault Charge

Hortonville Coach Faces More Sex Assault Charges

Jeremy Bennett, 28, a second-grade teacher at Sallas Mahone Elementary School in Valdosta, Georgia has been arrested on two counts of sexual battery against two 7-year-old female students.

The warrant charges Bennett with felony sexual battery on allegations that he touched the buttocks of two seven-year-old girls.

Bennett turned himself into police after a warrant was issued for his arrest and was subsequently released on $25,000 bail.

Bennett who has reportedly worked for the school for three years was placed on unpaid suspension from his job.

05/12/08 - Not Guilty!

After nearly three hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty on all counts in the trial of Jeremy Bennett.

Bennett’s attorney said the deciding factor in the outcome of the case was the 24 character witnesses testifying in Bennett’s behalf and the state’s theory of the case that the inappropriate touching occurred in his classroom in front of 17 other students just did not make sense.

References:

Teacher found not guilty (05/08/08)

Students give testimony in Bennett trial (05/08/08)

Georgia Elementary Teacher Facing Sex Charges (9/25/07)

Valdosta Sexual Battery Investigation (9/25/07)

Valdosta teacher out on bond (9/25/07)

Update1: Valdosta Teacher Arrested for Sexual Battery

(9/14/07 - Initial BBT Report)

Matthew Joseph Shelton, 25, a former third-grade teacher at Phillips Edison Elementary School, in Napa, California has been arrested on misdemeanor sexual abuse charges involving four of his students.

Shelton reportedly turned himself in to authorities on Thursday.

Shelton is charged on allegations of inappropriate touching two 8-year-old and two 9-year-old female students at the school in April of this year. It is alleged that the girls were assaulted separately in the classroom.

The girls reported the alleged abuse to their parents, who contacted the school which resulting in an investigation being initiated in April at which time Shelton was placed on paid administrative leave.

Shelton has not been employed at the school since the last day of the 2006-2007 school year.

2/26/08 - NOT GUILTY!

A jury required only 20 minutes to find Matthew Joseph Shelton NOT GUILTY on all charges at the end of a six-day-long jury trial.

Reference:

Teacher acquitted of sex charges (2/26/08)

Former Napa teacher arrested on sex abuse charges (9/13/07)

(12/06/07 - Initial BBT Report)

Steven D. Mitchell, 33, of Pineville, Arkansas a former agriculture teacher at Melbourne High School has been indicted by a federal grand jury in a superseding indictment on five counts that charges Mitchell with taking minors across state lines, witness tampering and an attempt to travel with minors related to criminal sexual activity.

Mitchell was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in April on 12 counts of sexual misconduct with students. He is accused of taking students across state lines on field trips to engage in sexual acts.

In an appeal of the earlier indictment Mitchell’s attorney argued that the charges involving all the different victims on trips should have been one charge. Prosecutors resubmitted evidence to the grand jury and included all the victims in each trip. As a result of the new indictment Mitchell will have to appear before the judge this month for formal arraignment.

The indictment claims Mitchell engaged in numerous sexually oriented activities with FFA students frequently during trips out of state and over a period of years.

In August 2005 Mitchell pleaded guilty to state charges of two counts of sexual assault involving high school students and was given probation and required to register as a sex offender.

2/08/08 - NOT GUILTY

Yesterday U.S. District Judge Leon Holmes dismissed four of the five charges which Mitchell faced.

This left one charge remaining for the jury to decided and the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

In August 2005 Mitchell pleaded guilty in Izard County Circuit Court to two felony counts of second-degree assault in connection with the same group of boys and was sentenced to five years’ probation, fined $2,500 and was ordered to register as a Level 3 sex offender.

References:

Mitchell acquitted (2/08/08)

Superseding indictment filed Wednesday (12/06/07)

Background:

Mitchell confined to home (5/07/07)

(8/01/07 - Initial BBT Report)

Brent Roark, 30, a former math teacher and assistant softball coach at Jefferson City High School, in Jefferson City, Missouri scheduled for trial today for the alleged sexual abuse of a female student under 17-years of age saw his trial delayed when existing charges were dropped, refiled and an additional charge of second-degree rape was added.

The offenses are alleged to have occurred in 2005. Roark was charged initially with two counts of second-degree statutory rape in January 2007 and resigned from the school shortly thereafter.

Roark’s next court date is set for September 4th.

9/27/07 - Indictment Handed Down

Brent Roark has been indicted by a grand jury on child sex charges.

Roark who supposed to stand trial last month in the case was indicted Tuesday on two counts of 2nd degree statutory rape and one count of 2nd degree statutory sodomy. It is alleged in the indictment that Roark had sex with a 16-year-old student in May and June of 2005 at his home in Jefferson City.

Roark is scheduled to be arraigned next month and will face up to 21 years in prison if ultimately convicted.

10/10/07 - Arraignment

Brent Roark was arraigned on Tuesday and entered not guilty pleas to charges of statutory rape and statutory sodomy.

1/19/08 - NOT GUILTY

After four and a half hours deliberation the jury returned a NOT GUILTY verdict.

Brent Roark’s family celebrated in the courtroom.  Neither the prosecutor nor the family of the alleged victim would comment.

References:

Teacher Accused of Rape Found Not Guilty (1/18/08)

Former Jefferson City Teacher Makes Court Appearance (10/09/07)

Former Teacher Indicted on Sex Charges (9/27/07)

Jefferson City Teacher Gets Additional Charges (8/01/07)

Teacher on Trial for Sex with Student (7/31/07)

Background:

Jefferson City Teacher Arrested On Sexual Assault Charges (1/11/07)