The Skelly Elementary assistant principal accused of sexually assaulting underage boy bonded out of jail just before 7pm Tuesday. This just hours after a judge kept Robert Yerton’s bond at $150,000.
On Tuesday, the District Attorney filed another count of lewd molestation but the judge decided to keep the bond at $150,000.
FOX23 News was the first media outlet to report the allegations last month.
Yerton is charged with two counts of Lewd Molestation and two counts of Child Sex Abuse.
FOX23’s Abbie Alford was in court today during the hearing and found out there could be more potential victims.
This is an ongoing investigation but Yerton’s defense attorney says there was nothing illegal about his client’s behavior with boys.
A six-year-old boy’s parents told police a Skelly Elementary employee told them she witnessed Yerton touch their son inappropriately, a teen boy told police Yerton sexually abused him when he was underage in the home, a former student told police 14 years ago when Yerton was his fourth grade teacher at Disney Elementary he touched him inappropriately, that case is out of the statute of limitations so as of now no charges will be filed.
Now a nine-year-old boy told police last November Yerton molested him while at school.
Reports show the boy was eight-years-old and police say the boy was not a student at Skelly.
Yerton’s defense attorney Richard O’Carroll calls the suspected molestation affectionate that is making Yerton a target in today’s society.
"All of this is innocent behavior until you start putting child molester on it," says O’Carroll. "He absolutely denies ay improper sexual conduct and there are glaring motives with all of the complaining witnesses and all of them."
However, the former student who is now 24-years-old exclusively tells FOX23 News he kept a secret about Yerton and says he couldn’t keep quiet.
To protect his identity he will be known as “Shane”.
"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”.
In court, Assistant District Attorney, Jake Caine says it’s not just alleged victims coming forward but teachers who worked with Yerton are coming forward concerned about Yerton’s behavior with young boys.
O’Carroll blames the witnesses who says have an axe to grind.
"I believe that I can attack each one of these individual accusations and undermine them one at a time," says O’Carroll. "Everybody with the idea that they are going to fill their sack and win the Pennsylvania lottery I would expect would come forward."
Yerton is expected to arraigned on Wednesday. Before Yerton bonded out of jail Cain says he would consider revisiting the issue of Yerton’s bond amount.
Yerton has been with Tulsa Public Schools since 1993. A spokesperson for the district says it only conducts background checks on employees when they are hired.
Last year a family member filed a protective order against Yerton but it was dismissed.
TPS says it has started Yerton’s termination process.
The District Attorney's Office is encouraging anyone with information about this case to call the Tulsa Police Child Crisis Unit at (918) 669-6504.
