Entertainment Report
Ex-teacher accused of molesting 28 first graders posts bond
A former gym teacher in Ohio accused of sex crimes against first graders has posted bond.
John Austin Hopkins, 25, faces 36 counts of gross sexual imposition. He posted bond and has been released from prison. He’s now on house arrest.
Prosecutors said they have security footage taken in Clearcreek Elementary School’s gymnasium of Hopkins inappropriately touching 28 first graders a total of 36 times for sexual gratification.
During his arraignment, about two dozen parents of alleged victims sat on one side of the courtroom gallery. Many friends and family members supporting Hopkins sat on the other side.
Defense attorney David Anthony Chicarelli argued for a low bond.
“He has no record at all. He has been part of this community his entire life. Even when he was getting his bachelor’s and his master’s degree, he never ventured out of this area more than an hour,” Chicarelli said. “His entire family, they’re educators across the board.”
Assistant prosecutor Kevin Hardman said he was concerned for the safety of the community and asked that bond be set at $500,000.Judge Robert Peeler sided with prosecutors but said Hopkins was allowed to post 10 percent of the bond.
Chicarelli’s father, also David Chicarelli, said his client isn’t a threat to the community.
“That’s absurd. He’s going to be on house arrest with a GPS monitor. If he violates one issue of house arrest, he’s going to be put back in jail. He’s going to be at his parents’ home and he’s not leaving, so that argument that he’s a danger to other people in the community, I’m sorry, is absurd,” the elder Chicarelli said.
Hopkins’ lawyers entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
“He totally denies this,” Chicarelli said. “We don’t know what’s on the video. He’s presumed innocent, and these videos that they say they have I assume are videos from up in a ceiling, and I don’t know how clear they are.”
Angela Wallace represents the victims’ families. She said she hasn’t seen the videos but has heard what they show.
“In a lot of the videos, the room is dark. There’s a screen down and the children are watching the videos, and then he’ll motion one little girl over to the side and begin with the child sitting on his lap and things progress from there, touching in obviously inappropriate places, rubbing, those sorts of things,” Wallace said.
Hopkins resigned in March after the investigation began. Wallace said the investigation started after parents asked their first grade daughter how school was that day.
“She said, ‘It was a great day today. It was finally my turn to sit on Mr. Hopkins’ lap,'” Wallace said.
Wallace said she believes there are more victims. Prosecutors said since the school’s security camera system is on a 90-day loop, they don’t have footage prior to December.
By: NBC Palm Springs
June 21, 2019
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