Johnston City teacher facing sex abuse, assault charges

JOHNSTON CITY, Ill. (KFVS) - A southern Illinois school teacher is facing sexual abuse charges according to state police.

Trevor L. Clark, 50, of Pittsburg, Ill. was charged by a state special prosecutor with five counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and four counts of criminal sexual assault in Williamson County. He is a teacher with the Johnston City School District.

He is being held at the Williamson County Jail on a $500,000 bond.

As of Wednesday, October 30, his professional educator’s license was revoked due to the charges he’s facing.

According to the school district, he’s on unpaid suspension and has not been teaching this school year.

Illinois State Police and the Johnston City Police Department joined in the investigation.

The school district will also perform their own investigation. They released this statement in August:

“The Johnston City Community Unit School District No. 1 was informed today, August 2, 2019, that an employee of the District was arrested. We are naturally concerned by the report of the arrest and by the troubling allegations. We understand that the Illinois State Police and Johnston City Police Department are currently conducting an investigation into the alleged conduct, and that the matter has been assigned to a Special Prosecutor. The District has no further information regarding the allegations, and cannot comment further on the law enforcement investigation, the potential criminal prosecution, or related legal procedures. In the meantime, the District will pursue its own investigation into the situation, and will take any necessary actions. The safety and security of our students is paramount, and the appropriateness of the educational environment is of course crucial to our mission. The administration and Board of Education will take appropriate steps to investigate, and will take any and all necessary action to protect the welfare and security of District students. The District’s personnel investigation into the serious allegations will be prompt and thorough. In accordance with normal procedures, the District’s investigation will proceed as a confidential personnel matter. The District will not be able to provide more information about a confidential investigatory matter at this time, and cannot comment on a pending investigation until it has been concluded and any final action is taken. We will provide further information as appropriate.”

His pretrial hearing is scheduled for Dec. 16 at 1:15 p.m.

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