| Updated: 8/21/2012 4:59 pm |
Published: 8/20/2012 9:27 pm
|
Opening statements are expected on Wednesday for a former assistant elementary school principal accused of child molestation.
Robert Yerton, Junior, 43, is charged with three counts of lewd molestation and two counts of child sex abuse.
FOX23 News broke this story in April 2010. Yerton has since resigned from Tulsa Public Schools.
Two of the alleged victims told police Yerton molested them at Skelly Elementary. A school counselor told police Yerton inappropriately touched a six-year-old boy in his office.
The alleged victim's parents spoke to FOX23 News in April 2010 about the allegations.
"I look at it that he was an easy target, an easy victim,” said the father of the six-year-old boy. "He thought this man was just being nice to him is probably how he looked at it.”
Shortly after Yerton’s arrest, Yerton was also charged with inappropriately touching an eight-year-old boy at Skelly.
Yerton also taught at Disney Elementary. He is charged with molesting a seven-year-old boy at Disney in 2001.
An adult in his mid-20’s also came forward after the investigation alleging Yerton abused him when he was 10-years-old at Disney. Those accusations exceeded the statute of limitations and Yerton cannot be charged.
Yerton is also charged with child abuse involving a relative. The two counts of child abuse stem from allegations Yerton sexually abused a relative from age 11 to 17, that alleged victim is now an adult.
Prosecutors have more than 20 witnesses to testify in the trial including the school counselor who reported the alleged abuse six months before Yerton’s arrest. Also, jurors will be presented with evidence including e-mails between school administrators and Yerton.
Yerton is out on bond.
In June 2012, TPS settled two lawsuits that were filed by parents of two students who claimed Yerton touched them inappropriately.
