Girl testifies against former Hoover High instructor accused of sexual assault

A girl, who former Hoover High School instructor Delvon Jackson is accused of sexually assaulting earlier this year, appeared in a Pasadena courtroom Wednesday to testify against him.

Following a day-long preliminary hearing, Jackson was held to answer on four felony counts relating to the alleged assaults. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Janice Claire Croft also denied a request to lower Jackson’s $400,000 bail.

During her testimony, the 14-year-old freshman, referred to in the case as Jane Doe, said she initially felt safe around Jackson as a student in his Public Safety Academy class.

“I felt like I could be open toward him – go to him for anything,” she said, but she became “confused” when he asked her one day if she would let him be her second boyfriend.

Doe described an interaction where Jackson said she had aroused him, and instructed her to return to his classroom later that day.

When Doe returned, planning to tell him to stop his behavior, she said Jackson told her to take off her clothes. She said no, but she testified that he removed her shirt and further assaulted her.

After that incident, Doe said she told a few friends what happened and was encouraged to report it to officials.

On Oct. 15, prior to talking to school officials, she testified that Jackson told her any sexual relations between them “was fine as long as it was consensual.” He then, she said, licked her neck.

Doe reported the incident to school officials later that day and a DNA sample taken from Doe’s neck matched Jackson’s DNA, Deputy District Attorney Alice Kurs told the court Wednesday.

Another Hoover High freshman who testified against Jackson said he saw the instructor treat Doe differently than other students in the class, often rubbing her shoulders.

The student also said Jackson asked students whether or not they had had sex and testified that Jackson would greet male students with handshakes and female students with hugs.

Veronica Jackson, Jackson’s wife of 17 years, and who has maintained her husband’s innocence, testified Wednesday that she was “here to tell the truth” and said she was “concerned about the charges that the little girl has accused my husband of.”

Jackson’s defense lawyer, Winston McKesson, argued against the credibility of Doe’s testimony because Doe could not remember the clothing Jackson wore on the day he allegedly removed her shirt.

Jackson is next due in court Dec. 5.

-- Follow Kelly Corrigan on Twitter: @kellymcorrigan.

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