A Skelly Elementary administrator at the center of a child sex abuse investigation is facing additional charges.Tulsa Police tell FOX23 News they believe Robert Yerton inappropriately touched a male student this school year at Skelly Elementary.
Records show Yerton, “had ‘groped’, touched an 8-year-old boy on his penis with his hand, over his cloethes in a ‘cupping’ motion.”
This is the third alleged victim involved in the investigation.
Jail records show Yerton is charged with two counts of child sex abuse and two counts of lewd molestation involving children.
Reports show Yerton inappropriately touched a 6-year-old boy at Skelly Elementary in his office and sexually abused a boy from when he was 11-years-old to 17-years old in his home.
There was former student who came forward and told police while at Disney Elementary in 1996 Yerton molested him in his classroom.
Police investigated and say that suspected abuse exceeded the statute of limitations so no charges can be filed.
FOX23 was the first to report the allegations when it surfaced last month.
FOX23’s Abbie Alford exclusively speaks to the former student.
A man who has been embarrassed and ashamed has stayed silent about what he says his fourth grade teacher did to him fourteen years ago.
Although his case has exceeded the statute of limitations, the former student hopes by breaking his silence it will help others to seek justice.
Behind the yearbook pictures at Disney Elementary, smiling for the camera’s, Robert Yerton’s former fourth grade student see’s a different man.
"I am just disgusted…a demon,” says the former student. "He took advantage of a little boy."
A little boy who is now a husband and father so to protect his identity he wants to be known as “Shane”.
The former student says he’s kept a disturbing secret about Yerton since 1996.
"Because I have Dyslexia he told me I needed to come back and work on my spelling words," says “Shane”.
He says he was alone with Yerton in the classroom.
"I was standing out on the front of his desk and he told me I needed to come to the back side of his desk and we were just talking about what I needed to do and he just kind of stopped and turned…he put his hand down my shorts and he just stopped and kept talking about the spelling words,” says “Shane”.
He says he didn’t tell Yerton to stop.
"I think he could tell I was uncomfortable," says “Shane”.
“Shane” says Yerton acted like nothing ever happened. For fourteen years “Shane” says it was too painful to breath a word that he believed Mr. Yerton touched him inappropriately.
"People making fun of you or blaming it on you," says “Shane”.
It was his word against a teacher.
"I was only in the fourth grade and you're supposed to be able to trust the people that you are at school with and that's why they are there to be trusted,” says “Shane”.
As the years went by he says he tried to forget about what happened but it got even tougher to stay silent about a man who was well respected in the schools and in the church community.
"I was scared of what would happen....and ashamed that I never said anything," says “Shane”.
Until another boy’s family came forward and told police that a staff member told them their six-year-old son was inappropriately touched by his assistant principal at Skelly Elementary, Robert Yerton.
“Shane” says he couldn’t keep his secret anymore.
"It just surfaced and I felt that I should stop hiding behind my fears," says “Shane”. "Someone else was brave enough to come forward so why cant I?"
So the former student says he reported it to police.
"I thought it was time and I kept seeing his picture and it just brought anger and I felt it was time to get justice for what happened to me," says “Shane”.
Yerton cannot face time for what police believe he did to “Shane” because the suspected abused exceeded the statute of limitations for any charges to be filed.
Still Shane says justice will come if others break their silence.
"Stop being scared and say something so this man will go away so he can't do it to anyone else," says “Shane”. "Please come forward and get it off your chest because it will help you".
If you believe or you know who someone who Robert Yerton may have abused report it to the Tulsa Police Child Crisis Unit at (918) 669-6504. You can remain anonymous.
The Tulsa County District Attorney's office says it doesn’t matter how long ago the suspected abuse happened it may be able to help the case.
Yerton is on paid suspension but Tulsa Public Schools says it is beginning its termination proceedings. Yerton has been with the school district since 1993.
Reports also show the TPS area superintendent handed over a packet of e-mails to police with their concerns about Yerton’s suspected abuse.
Yerton is now being held on $200,000 bond. A bond reduction hearing has been set for Tuesday.
