Txbroadcaster
03-29-2007, 09:16 AM
Ex-CCCC teacher accused of raping 9-year-old
Collin: Man denies attacking girl, separate child porn count
05:22 AM CDT on Thursday, March 29, 2007
By TIARA M. ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
tellis@dallasnews.com
A former Collin County Community College professor fired after child pornography was found on his work computer has been accused of raping a 9-year-old girl.
John Preston Creech, 58, of Allen has been indicted on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child and possession of child pornography, according to a grand jury report released this week.
Mr. Creech said the allegations – both felonies – are "completely false." In response to the pornography charge, Mr. Creech previously told police that hundreds of sexual images of children on his computer were research for a human sexuality course.
A technician at the community college's Frisco campus discovered the images on Mr. Creech's computer in August and reported it to Frisco police. Mr. Creech was fired shortly thereafter. He had been teaching at the community college for about 10 years.
Mr. Creech appealed the August 2006 termination. In December, the school's board of trustees called a special meeting and denied his appeal, said Lisa Vasquez, a spokeswoman for the community college district.
The sexual assault investigation is separate, according to Allen and Frisco police, and stems from a report made around the time the pornography case became public.
"The victim was 10 when she reported this in mid-September," said Allen police Capt. Robert Flores. "She said the last time it happened was when she was 9."
The girl, a daughter of one of Mr. Creech's family friends, went to the Collin County Children's Advocacy Center. Capt. Flores said the girl described how Mr. Creech had sex with her more than once.
Mr. Creech remains free on bail. If convicted, he faces five years to life in prison on the aggravated sexual assault charge, and two to 20 years on the child pornography charge.
John Hardin, Mr. Creech's attorney, said he hopes his client is not being judged before the case goes to trial.
"A grand jury indictment is no indication of guilt whatsoever," Mr. Hardin said. "People jump to conclusions. But until a jury of his peers or a judge has found him guilty, he's innocent."
Collin: Man denies attacking girl, separate child porn count
05:22 AM CDT on Thursday, March 29, 2007
By TIARA M. ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
tellis@dallasnews.com
A former Collin County Community College professor fired after child pornography was found on his work computer has been accused of raping a 9-year-old girl.
John Preston Creech, 58, of Allen has been indicted on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child and possession of child pornography, according to a grand jury report released this week.
Mr. Creech said the allegations – both felonies – are "completely false." In response to the pornography charge, Mr. Creech previously told police that hundreds of sexual images of children on his computer were research for a human sexuality course.
A technician at the community college's Frisco campus discovered the images on Mr. Creech's computer in August and reported it to Frisco police. Mr. Creech was fired shortly thereafter. He had been teaching at the community college for about 10 years.
Mr. Creech appealed the August 2006 termination. In December, the school's board of trustees called a special meeting and denied his appeal, said Lisa Vasquez, a spokeswoman for the community college district.
The sexual assault investigation is separate, according to Allen and Frisco police, and stems from a report made around the time the pornography case became public.
"The victim was 10 when she reported this in mid-September," said Allen police Capt. Robert Flores. "She said the last time it happened was when she was 9."
The girl, a daughter of one of Mr. Creech's family friends, went to the Collin County Children's Advocacy Center. Capt. Flores said the girl described how Mr. Creech had sex with her more than once.
Mr. Creech remains free on bail. If convicted, he faces five years to life in prison on the aggravated sexual assault charge, and two to 20 years on the child pornography charge.
John Hardin, Mr. Creech's attorney, said he hopes his client is not being judged before the case goes to trial.
"A grand jury indictment is no indication of guilt whatsoever," Mr. Hardin said. "People jump to conclusions. But until a jury of his peers or a judge has found him guilty, he's innocent."