Urbana teacher accused of molesting students
URBANA – A second-grade teacher at an Urbana grade school has been arrested for sexually molesting children at the school last fall.
Urbana police Lt. Mike Metzler said Jonathon A. White, 26, of Normal, a teacher at Thomas Paine Grade School since August 2005, was arrested as he arrived for work at the grade school at 1801 James Cherry Drive, U, about 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Metzler said Urbana police learned Monday of the abuse allegations through a "concerned citizen" and have, with the help of representatives from the state Department of Children and Family Services, been interviewing children since then.
State's Attorney Julia Rietz said at least three 8-year-old girls have been interviewed. Police are continuing to conduct interviews.
Rietz said the charges to be filed today – predatory criminal sexual assault of a child – allege that sometime in November, White forced the girls to perform sex acts on him. The charges are Class X felonies carrying a mandatory prison term of between six and 30 years upon conviction.
"White would sign these students out of the after-school program and have them come to his classroom, where they would help him do chores. Then they would play what they called the tasting game. He would blindfold them," Rietz said.
Urbana School District Superintendent Gene Amberg declined to discuss what district officials might have known and when, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. A release from the district said a background check done on White before his hiring did not turn up any felony convictions.
District spokeswoman Kathy Wallig said White had a misdemeanor conviction for resisting a peace officer in McLean County from 2001.
Amberg said White has been placed on administrative leave with pay.
Whether he will continue to be paid will be determined after he's been arraigned, Amberg said.
Amberg said he's hoping the incident won't reflect poorly on other "dedicated professionals" in the district.
Amberg said the district is sending a letter home to parents today about the allegations.
Rietz said the girls were interviewed by professionals at the Children's Advocacy Center this week.
The interviews were videotaped. Their parents have been offered counseling through the center.
"My office has a victim advocate who will be assisting them through the court process," she said.
Wallig said the arrest was witnessed by several students outside the building, so counseling will be offered to anyone who might need it.
"We are asking parents who may for any reason believe anything inappropriate happened in that classroom, to contact the Urbana Police Department," she said.
Rietz said White was also interviewed but she declined to say what he told police.
News-Gazette staff writer Steve Bauer contributed to this report.
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