Jeffrey A. Bickel Is In A Pickle

[Wicked Doll]

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss306/wicked_doll777/bickel.jpg

For the love of god, he couldn't have waited a few months until the girl was 18? What is up with so many music teachers being pervs?


A 25-year-old Conneaut Middle School music teacher (here we go again) appeared in Conneaut Municipal Court Monday afternoon on charges he had sex with a 17-year-old high school student over the past several months.

Jeffrey A. Bickel, 275 Whitney St., faces five counts of sexual battery, a third-degree felony, and one count of disseminating material harmful to juveniles, a fifth-degree felony, according to court records.

Bickel surrendered to authorities Monday afternoon, accompanied by attorney Paul Conn of Youngstown. After a brief hearing before Conneaut Municipal Court Judge Thomas Harris, Bickel went to city jail, where he was booked and fingerprinted.

He was released on a personal recognizance bond, a court spokeswoman said. A preliminary hearing will be held at 11 a.m. May 12.

Each of the sexual battery charges carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and $10,000 fine. The disseminating-material charge carries a maximum one-year prison sentence and $2,500 fine. If convicted, Bickel faces a possible 26-year jail sentence.

Sexual battery charges were filed because the alleged victim is a student in an “institution of higher learning,” where the alleged offender is “a teacher, administrator, coach or other person in authority,” according to a copy of the arrest warrant.

As a condition of his release, Bickel must stay away from all Conneaut schools, including several neighborhoods surrounding Conneaut High School; may not attend any school function in Conneaut or in Ohio; and cannot contact the girl or her family, according to court records.

Conneaut Detective Sgt. Charles Burlingham said police began their investigation after receiving a call from Ashtabula County Children’s Services a few weeks ago. The Children Services Board contacted police after receiving an anonymous complaint about a Conneaut teacher having sexual relations with a student.

During the course of the investigation, police obtained search warrants late last month. According to court records, officers sought cellular telephone and computer data from Bickel’s home.

Court records do not yet indicate what material — if any — police took from the home.

An affidavit police filed with the court to secure the search warrants provided some information about the investigation. The girl denied having a relationship with Bickel when interviewed at CHS last month by police and a CSB representative, according to the document. One day later, police and the CSB representative spoke with the girl’s parents, and her mother said her daughter admitted she and Bickel had been exchanging calls and text messages and had “sexual relations” in November or December.

None of the encounters occurred on school property, Burlingham said.

The pair had intercourse on “several (occasions),” according to the affidavit. On one occasion, Bickel reportedly sent nude photos of himself via his cellular telephone to the girl, police said in the affidavit.

Bickel is the music teacher at Conneaut Middle School and assistant marching band director, according to reports. He reportedly began working for the Conneaut Area City Schools District last fall.

Police said they believe Bickel was recently placed on leave. (Note: paid administrative leave)

http://www.starbeacon.com/local/local_story_103235507.html

[malq]

paid admin leave? wtf?! WHY?

So he is tardish enough to leave a electronic paper trail by sending nudies. What an asshole. 25:17 is not too bad a ratio, however broke the law and a position of trust. Not saying its ok, just could have been much worse as far as the age thing.

[sherrz]

I don't get that shit at all... He obviously did something wrong, and they're putting him on paid leave????

[Wicked Doll]

Kent Houston, Conneaut Area City Schools superintendent, vehemently denied stonewalling any investigation into allegations that led to criminal charges against one of his middle school teachers.

“Anybody who implies anything else is not speaking the truth,” Houston said Tuesday.

At issue are six felony charges that face Jeffrey Bickel, 25, a music teacher at Conneaut Middle School. Police say Bickel had sexual relations with a 17-year-old Conneaut High School students.

Houston was upset with remarks made Monday morning by Luke Gallagher, assistant law director, who said school officials did not contact authorities after hearing reports of Bickel’s possible misconduct.

Houston said he couldn’t elaborate on the district’s handling of the matter, but emphasized administrators spent the past “two or three weeks” conferring with the city law director’s office on the investigation.

“To say we didn’t cooperate fully (is false),” he said. “We were all on the same page.”

Wallace “Sonny” Heinonen, Conneaut Board of Education president, endorsed Houston’s handling of the matter.

“I have conferred with (Houston), and it’s my interpretation he followed the rules,” Heinonen said. “Given the information, (Houston) acted accordingly and followed the guidelines of board policy,” he said. When rumors first surfaced, Houston spoke to all the parties involved and was told by everyone the story was baseless, Heinonen said Tuesday.

“At the time it was denying, denying, denying,” Heinonen said. “I believe Houston is being utilized as a scapegoat to some degree.”

Ohio Revised Code Section 2151.421 obliges a host of public officials, including school authorities, to report any child they suspect may be, or is at risk of being, abused to neglected to contact law enforcement or related agency, according to a Children’s Services public information fact sheet.

Houston, accompanied by Mark Andrews, the school district’s attorney, met with Gallagher, Law Director Lori Lamer and Detective Sgt. Charles Burlingham Monday afternoon. Lamer, reached for comment later, said the session was positive and productive.

Court records list a Conneaut address for Bickel, but he reportedly moved to Cortland a few weeks ago, officials said.

Charges on file with Conneaut court indicate the sexual activity occurred a handful of times between early November and mid-March. Bickel faces five counts of sexual battery, a third-degree felony, and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a fifth-degree felony.

Police began their investigation last month, after receiving a call from Ashtabula County Children’s Service, which in turn had been contacted by an anonymous tipster.

Bickel was represented at Monday’s arraignment by attorney Paul Conn of Youngstown “(Bickel) pleaded not guilty and it is our belief that will be the result of the case,” Conn said Tuesday.

Bickel has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome, Houston said. Bickel began teaching in Conneaut last fall.

Student safety is a personal top priority, Houston said.

“I’m pretty no-nonsense,” he said. “I’ll come after anybody who does anything to harm a student. Safety is most important.

“If there’s one iota of truth (to the charges, Bickel) will never be back in a classroom,” Houston said.

http://www.starbeacon.com/local/local_story_104201817.html?start:int=15

[malq]

I don't get that shit at all... He obviously did something wrong, and they're putting him on paid leave????

I'm afraid that is always the case with a case pending investigation. Almost never in the private sector, but always in any form of government. The agencies do not have anything set up for hiring someone and hiring them back if the outcome is in their favor. he might get another paycheck out of it, but they will fire his ass. There should be a clause in Admin leave to make them pay it back if guilty.