As jury selection got under way in the trial of a former teacher assistant accused of sex offenses, the defendant decided to change his plea.
Donald Williams, 50, changed his plea from not guilty to no contest on one of six charges he was facing.
Williams pleaded no contest, which means he doesn't admit guilt, but acknowledges that he could be found guilty on one charge of second-degree forcible sex offense.
An additional five charges were dropped as part of the plea arrangement, and a seventh charge was dismissed prior to the start of the case Tuesday morning.
Judge Joe Crosswhite sentenced Williams to a minimum term of 7.5 years and a maximum of nearly 10 years. Williams was given credit for the three years he spent in jail awaiting trial.
That lengthy delay in bringing the case to trial prompted a motion by defense attorney Ken Darty to dismiss the case due to the lack of a speedy trial.
Crosswhite denied that motion Tuesday morning, and the potential panel of jurors was brought into the courtroom.
After 12 people were called to the jury box to begin the selection process, Darty asked to approach the bench, and the jurors were asked to leave the courtroom.
About 90 minutes later, Williams came back in and said he was changing his plea.
Assistant District Attorney Carrie Garvey told Crosswhite the victim, then 14, was approached by Williams and offered a job mowing lawns.
During the period of November 2005 to September 2006, she said, Williams offered the victim prescription medication in exchange for sexual favors.
The case came to light when the victim's mother, concerned about changes in her son's behavior and increasing drug use, admitted him to a treatment facility.
The mother suspected something was seriously wrong, then took her son to meet with Detective Sgt. Cheryl Hilderbrand, who is now retired from the Iredell County Sheriff's Office.
The boy revealed what happened with Williams at that time.
The boy's mother struggled unsuccessfully to keep from crying as she told Crosswhite the impact Williams had on her son and the entire family.
"We trusted him. He betrayed our trust. He tore my son apart," she said.
Darty said Williams is partially responsible for what happened, but denied his client is the total cause of the young man's downfall when he was 14 and 15.
But, he said, what Williams did was inappropriate, and shouldn't have happened.
Williams made no comments prior to sentencing.
Garvey told Crosswhite that while this sexual abuse derailed the boy for a while, he is recovering.
"He got his GED and has a job. This will not define his life. He is a good person and his life will continue," she said.
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