Former instructor accused of lewd acts with minor pleads no contest
A former public safety instructor at Hoover High School accused of sexually assaulting an underage student on-campus entered a no-contest plea on Tuesday that entails some jail time and registering as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Delvon Jackson, 38, withdrew the not-guilty plea he entered last October, shortly after the alleged 14-year-old victim reported him to school officials and he was arrested.
He was contracted to work in Hoover High’s Public Safety Academy, which coaches teens interested in careers in fire service or law enforcement.
The alleged victim, who was not identified because she is a minor, said during testimony last November that she initially felt safe around Jackson, but that he made advances such as asking her if he could be her second boyfriend.
Jackson also allegedly removed her shirt and licked her neck, a claim that was backed up with DNA evidence, said Deputy District Atty. Alice Kurs.
Jackson was initially facing four felony counts, but the plea deal with prosecutors trims the charges to one felony count of committing a lewd act with a minor.
By doing so, Jackson is looking at a potential three-year sentence, said Pasadena Superior Court Judge Stan Blumenfeld. If he were to be convicted in a jury trial, the maximum sentence could have been nearly seven years.
Jackson’s attorney, Winston McKesson, said his client would likely get half of the three-year sentence and, with time served, may end up spending eight months behind bars.
The alleged victim could make a final statement if she chooses before the sentence is handed down, which is expected to be this Wednesday, according to a statement from the District Attorney’s Office.
The judge said there are several requirements that Jackson must meet in order for the plea agreement to be approved, including registering in the national sex offender registry.
Jackson’s family, including his wife, Veronica Jackson, was in attendance for the plea-deal hearing.
She said she still supports her husband, but offered a comment to the alleged victim and her family.
“My heart just goes out to the little girl and her family,” Veronica Jackson said. “I hope they are getting some type of therapy for her and some type of counseling so that she can deal with everything that has happened.”
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Follow Arin Mikailian on Twitter: @ArinMikailian.
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