BLOOMINGTON - The first four members of the jury that will hear the rape case against former Bloomington police Sgt. Jeff Pelo were selected Monday after a full day of questioning 12 potential jurors.

The panel so far includes a retired McLean County employee, a Danvers resident who works for local government, a retired newspaper employee and a State Farm Insurance Cos. worker.

A fifth potential juror still under consideration is an Illinois State University student.

Chief Felony Prosecutor Mark Messman and defense lawyer Michael Rosenblat each excused several would-be jurors Monday for a variety of reasons, including a woman who had a solid opinion about a verdict and another woman who was the victim of a sexual assault.

Pelo, 43, is accused of sexually assaulting four women between 2002 and 2005 and stalking a fifth woman between 2005 and 2006.

The 17-year veteran of the police department smiled and nodded Monday morning when he was introduced by Rosenblat to a courtroom filled with 40 potential jurors.

Pelo's three children were in the courtroom for the questioning of jury candidates. His wife, Rickielee Pelo, came to the Law and Justice Center, but she is excluded from the courtroom along with the other 116 potential witnesses.

Several family members and supporters of the alleged victims also were in court.

Jurors were asked a series of questions by Associate Judge Robert Frietag about their employment, education and if they are related to law enforcement officers.

Messman followed with inquiries about the television shows the potential jurors watched, specifically crime shows such as "CSI."

Among the things the defense wanted to know were people's views on eyewitness identifications and the exposure people have had to news reports on the Pelo case.

One of the women excused from jury service said she did not believe she could ignore her opinion.

"I think it would be hard for me to set that aside," said the woman, who works at ISU.

Another potential juror said evidence about the sexual assaults may remind her of her own experiences as a victim.

"All I can do is villainize in my head," the woman told attorneys before she was released.

The jurors seated in the Pelo case will be required to sign an affidavit each day verifying that they have followed Frietag's directive to avoid all media accounts of the trial until it is over.

Jury selection continues today.