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Judge: McLean Co. children can testify at White sex assault trial
By Edith Brady-Lunny
eblunny@pantagraph.com
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URBANA -- Two McLean County children allegedly molested by a former Unit 5 teacher may be called to testify when the teacher goes on trial on sexual assault charges involving nine Urbana students.

Jon White, 26, of Normal, is accused of molesting the Urbana students at the Thomas Paine Elementary School between August 2005 and December 2006. He was charged in Champaign County in January 2007.

Two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault followed in McLean County in February where White was a first-grade teacher at the Colene Hoose Elementary School in Normal during the 2004-05 school year.

Champaign County Judge Harry Clem ruled Tuesday that the state may introduce testimony from the McLean County girls to show similarities in the method used to allegedly molest the children and White’s possible inclination to commit sexual offenses.

The judge noted that the McLean County accusations involve incidents that took place two years prior to the Champaign County allegations.

“The degree of factual similarity is more than passing” between the two cases, said Clem.

Prosecutors have accused White of blindfolding female students while engaged in a “tasting game,” an activity that involved inappropriate sexual activity.

In comments after the ruling, defense attorney Carol Dison renewed her contention that the jury considering the Champaign County charges should not hear the McLean County testimony.

“Obviously we’re disappointed. The only probative value is outweighed by the prejudicial value to our client,” said Dison.

The judge decided last month that statements from eight of the nine Champaign County students may be introduced at White’s trial. A ruling is expected in December on the last student after her father testifies about the child’s statements. The child’s family has moved to Florida since the charges were filed.

In hearings in October, several parents of the Urbana students testified about how they learned of the game allegedly played after school in White’s classroom.

The parents of two children said their daughters initiated casual conversations about the incidents and a third mother said she questioned her daughter after White had been arrested.

A hearing is set for Thursday in Champaign County on a defense motion to move the trial outside Champaign County. Five news outlets were in court Tuesday to provide materials requested by the defense on the venue issue.

The defense has argued that extensive pretrial news coverage has made it impossible for the former teacher to receive a fair trial in Champaign County.

White is due in court in Bloomington Wednesday for a status hearing in the McLean County case.

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Reader comments on this story - 5 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Makes you wonder too wrote on Nov 28, 2007 2:36 PM:

" how many parents saw dollar signs and jumped on the "Lynch Mr. White" bandwagon...am curious to see which charges stick and which are dismissed...like the remarks early on from the Unit 5 parent...she went straight to the papers with nonsense accusations but her testimony was ruled inadmissable...interesting. "

Makes you wonder wrote on Nov 28, 2007 11:28 AM:

" how many students haven't come forward... "

Unit 5 Parent also wrote on Nov 28, 2007 8:43 AM:

" We personally had Mr White as our daughter's 1st grade teacher...so we have very strong feelings about this case...but Unit 5, as a whole, has been wonderful. I may have disagreements with how he was handled back then, but we have had nothing but good experiences with the rest of her schooling in Unit 5. "

Unit #5 Parent wrote on Nov 28, 2007 8:28 AM:

" Not sure what 'Children First' means by the post? Please keep the two Unit #5 children and their families in your thoughts and prayers as they are both good families. "

Children First? wrote on Nov 27, 2007 9:07 PM:

" And Unit Five wants us to give them MORE money! I don't think so! "
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