Former drama teacher gets jail for fondling student

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

FARMINGTON — A former Woods Cross drama teacher accused of fondling a 14-year-old student was sentenced to a year in jail Wednesday after an extraordinary display of forgiveness by the victim's family.

A 2nd District judge ordered James D. Stokes to complete treatment at the Northern Utah Community Correctional Center, a halfway house in Ogden for sex offenders, as soon as space is available.

Stokes, 62, pleaded guilty in February to one count of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony. In exchange, prosecutors dropped a second identical charge, but Stokes still faced a prison term of up to 15 years, which Judge John Morris agreed to suspend.

He took these acts without any thought of the grief and pain they would cause others.

–Father of victim

The victim and her father spoke in court Wednesday of their desire for Stokes to get treatment so he does not abuse anyone else. They noted the other victims of his crime, including other students and his own family.

"I feel so sad for everyone who's been affected by this incident," the girl said. "I know I can put this behind me and move on … It's not going to have control of my life anymore."

Like the girl, her father said he harbors no ill will toward Stokes, though he said the teacher took his "evil" actions "for his own selfish and lustful gratification."

"He took these acts without any thought of the grief and pain they would cause others," the father said.

While his daughter has suffered greatly, he said, "I am impressed with the way she's emerging from this and I'm glad she's going to be all right."

Stokes was the drama teacher at the Legacy Preparatory Academy charter school in Woods Cross when he was accused of molesting a 14-year-old student. Prosecutors say he twice molested the girl in his car.

After a play rehearsal in January 2010, Stokes offered the girl a ride home and drove her to a remote area in Centerville, where the assaults occurred, police said. The girl told her parents what had happened in July, and Stokes was arrested the next month, just days before school was to start.

"I apologize for my misconduct," Stokes said in court Wednesday. "For the family, I pray that things might work out as they should for them and that they would accept my apology."

Morris told him the family's forgiveness was "perhaps the greatest gift you can be given in this life, so I hope you appreciate it."

Stokes was about to begin his fourth year at the academy. Before that, he taught in the Ogden area at a high school and junior high school for six years.

Prosecutor Richard Larsen said an extensive police investigation could not confirm other allegations of abuse by Stokes. Larsen declined to say whether those alleged incidents also involved students.

Explaining why he agreed to a sentence more lenient than those handed out to former Bountiful Junior High teachers Valynne Bowers and Linda Nef — who both received prison terms for their sexual relationships with a student — Larsen said every case is different.

"I don't want to minimize the severity of the offense he committed, because it was grievous," Larsen said. "The reality is some offenses are more serious than others."

The family's desire to forgive and get treatment for Stokes also played a role, he said.

"This was a unique case with unique victims," said defense attorney Ken Brown, expressing gratitude that Stokes will receive treatment instead of being "warehoused" in prison.

If he doesn't respond to treatment, if he doesn't do the things expected of him, the prison sentence is still hanging over his head, hopefully, this is an aberration and we don't have him back in the criminal justice system." -Prosecutor Richard Larsen

It will likely be months before Stokes is moved from the jail to NUCCC, assuming he is accepted into the facility. After completing treatment, he will finish three years of probation under sex-offender rules that restrict contact with minors and Internet access.

"If he doesn't respond to treatment, if he doesn't do the things expected of him, the prison sentence is still hanging over his head," Larsen said. "Hopefully, this is an aberration and we don't have him back in the criminal justice system."

Outside the courtroom, Stokes' wife shared a long hug with the victim's mother and said she will continue to stand by her husband, who she said worked on guidance systems for Northrop Grumman before becoming a teacher.

"I know who and what he is," Terrie Stokes said. "I love him to pieces."

Email:pkoepp@ksl.com