Published: November 03, 2008 02:31 pm      

Teacher pleads guilty

By Randy Mitchell

Staff Writer

ADA — An elementary school teacher accused of molesting several students pleaded guilty Monday.

In a courtroom filled with parents and relatives of the victims, Jeffery Wayne Dallen, 48, entered pleas of guilty to 11 counts of lewd molestation in Pontotoc County District Court before Judge Thomas Landrith. Officials said there are eight victims in the case. All are under the age of 12.

Dallen waived all rights to a trial by jury and his right to appeal. Some of the victims’ family members wept as Dallen entered his pleas.

“Guilty,” was Dallen’s response when Landrith asked him for his plea.

“Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty,?” Landrith asked.

“Yes, sir’” Dallen replied.

And so it went eleven consecutive times, as Landrith asked Dallen if he did all those things that were alleged by the victims in each count.

“Yes sir,” Dallen repeated.

Landrith said he believed Dallen to be of sound mind and understands what he was entering into by pleading guilty. Landrith sentenced Dallen to 50 years incarceration with 25 to be served in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. All other time will be suspended. Dallen will be 70 years old before he is eligible for parole.

He must undergo sexual offender counseling while he is incarcerated and will be on probation after he is released.

Dallen, a music teacher at Homer Elementary School, was arrested Oct. 21 after one of his students told a relative Dallen touched the victim in an improper manner.

A court affidavit filed by District Attorney Chris Ross alleges Dallen touched the victims’ private parts and forced some of the victims to touch him for the purpose of sexual stimulation.

All eight children reported the alleged molestations occurred at school. One victim said the incidents happened at the school when the other students were watching a movie in the music room.

“I think it was a fair resolution,” Assistant District Attorney Jim Tillison said. “I think a jury may have given him more time, but what we’ve done today is prevented the (victims) from going through the trauma of appearing in court and recall all the things that Mr. Dallen had done to them while at the same time assuring the community’s safety by making sure that he’s locked up for a significant amount of time.”

Dallen will be transferred to Lexington Correctional Facility immediately.