Newspaper Page Text
February 28,2018
Page 7 A
Exporter
MOLESTER
Continued from page 1A
2004, offering the boy oral
sex as well as money to
see his genitals. Stewart
also moved the youth’s
desk next to his dur
ing a movie. The boy
told investigators he felt
scared and very uncom
fortable and his parents
asked prosecutors to have
Stewart, castrated or at
least never be able to
teach again.
Bibb County Superior
Court Judge Philip
Brown allowed Stewart,
to plead under the first-
offender program, how
ever, and school officials
say that’s one reason they
didn’t, know the extent, of
his crime. Stewart, was
working as a substitute
last. Wednesday when
this newspaper came out.
reporting his molestation
conviction, and school offi
cials say he removed him
self from the sub list. that,
same day.
Parents are still won
dering, however, why
the school system put.
Stewart, in charge of a
room with their children,
given his record.
Asked last. Tuesday
to respond to parents
who may be concerned,
assistant superintendent
Jackson Daniel told the
Reporter “they may not.
know everything I know.”
Daniel now says that.,
while Stewart, disclosed
he had “an issue” in his
past, he didn’t know
details and Stewart’s
criminal background
check was clean because
of the first, offender pro
gram’s allowances. Law
enforcement, sources,
however, say that, even
first, offender convictions
show up on many back
ground checks.
Indeed, a simple Google
search of “Javis Jabon
Stewart. Macon Ga” by
The Reporter turned
up Stewart’s arrest, for
child molestation as its
first, hit..
Monroe County schools
released redacted por
tions of Stewart’s employ
ment. file on Monday
of this week, including
recommendations pur
portedly from his church,
Overcoming Churches of
God Faith Temple Inc. in
Macon.
‘Mr. Stewart, is a youth
leader that, works untir
ingly to improve the lives
of everyone he meets
in our church,” Elder
Mike Killen and Pastor
Geri Cotton wrote. ‘Mr.
Stewart, has overcome
many obstacles to become
a productive citizen.
First., we are aware of
the legal matters Mr.
Stewart, has overcome.
Like all other workers
in our church, we moni
tored all of Mr. Stewart’s
activities. Mr. Stewart’s
record at. the church is
clean and there have
been no incidents of Mr.
Stewart’s character that,
would reflect, negatively
at. our church. While we
understand Mr. Stewart,
has made a mistake that,
he regrets, he deserves
a chance to make a good
name in the community
since his legal matters
have been expunged.”
Stewart’s file also
includes a letter from
the state Department, of
Community Supervision
and Stewart’s probation
officer noting that, he has
been discharged from his
first, offender conviction
and should be considered
completely exonerated
of any criminal charge.
Additionally it. says the
discharge cannot, be
used to disqualify him
from employment.. The
file also says Stewart,
has been working at. the
Gomez Law Firm since
2010. That’s the firm that,
represented him in his
molestation case.
The school system did
not., however, release
the criminal background
check that. it. performed
on Stewart..
In an interview with
the Reporter last. Friday,
Daniel reiterated that, he
knew there was an over
riding issue in Stewart’s
past., but. declined to be
specific about, what, he
knew.
“We’re walking a legal
line here,” said Daniel.
In that, same inter
view, superintendent Dr.
Mike Hickman noted
that. Stewart, was active
singing and speaking in
local churches, and even
helped preach the funeral
for Jamarion Johnson,
the local middle schooler
who died from cancer in
April 2017. When Stewart,
applied, Hickman said
he talked to people
who knew Stewart, and
they vouched for him.
“We thought, that,
he would be fine to be
around children because
he was around children
anyway,” said Hickman.
When the Reporter pre
sented Hickman and
Daniel with the 119—
page criminal docket.,
both said they had no
inkling of it..
The file shows that.
Appling Middle School
administrators discovered
the problem on April 29,
2004 when another sub
stitute teacher found the
notes that. Stewart., then
20, had passed with his
13-year-old student.
The victim told police
he had entered the class
laughing and Stewart,
asked what, he was
laughing about.. He told
Stewart, he had just come
from another class in
which a friend had taken
out his penis and was
waving it. around.
Then Stewart, asked
the boy if he wanted oral
sex. The boy resisted, but.
then Stewart, implored
him to put. his desk next,
to Stewart’s, and then
to take out. his penis for
him to see. The substi
tute teacher wrote that,
the boy could whip it. out.
just like his friend did
in the previous class,
and included comments
about, the boy’s penis size,
offering $10 or $15 if he
would show it..
Stewart, told police he
never touched the boy or
saw his penis, that. it. was
all a joke and that, he did
not. mean anything sexual
by it..
The victim told inves
tigators that. Stewart,
initiated the notes and
then got. mad at. him and
began talking loud and
telling him to sit. down,
forcing him to write him
a note back. He told the
boy to slide his desk next,
to the teacher’s while he
turned the lights out. in
the class as it. was watch
ing a movie.
The victim said Stewart,
made him feel really
uncomfortable.
Investigators asked the
boy and his parents what
Mr. Stewart’s punishment,
should be. The boy said
he should go to jail — his
father said he should
be castrated. The mother
added that, he should
never be allowed to teach
again.
Hickman said he knew
nothing of the incident..
“We will look at. all
of our policies to see if
there’s anything we can
do better as far as back
ground checks,” said
Hickman. “We will have
to do a better job of cir
cling the wagons and
looking deeper.”
Asked if Stewart, would
be allowed to sub again,
Hickman at first said no
he wouldn’t, because he
took himself off the list..
When pressed, Hickman
allowed that, the school
system has learned new
things and would not. wel
come him back.
Meanwhile, some par
ents are still wonder
ing how Stewart, was
welcomed in the first,
place. Two candidates
who announced cam
paigns for school board in
this week’s Reporter have
cited Stewart’s hiring as a
sign things needed “clean
ing up” in Monroe County
schools.
Hickman noted that.,
in hindsight, much of
this situation could’ve
been avoided if Judge
Brown had not. given
Stewart, first-offender
status, which cleans the
record after 10 years.
According to that. 119-
page criminal case, Bibb
County assistant district,
attorney Dorothy Hull,
who prosecuted Stewart,
in 2005, had asked
Judge Brown not. to give
Stewart, first, offender
status. She also asked
the judge to give Stewart,
one year in the deten
tion center. But. Stewart’s
attorney, Debra Gomez
of Macon, presented
reams of testimony that.
Stewart., who weighs near
500 pounds, had serious
health issues and sleep
apnea that, would make
prison life almost, impos
sible for him. Brown
apparently agreed.
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Despite that., Hull said
she was “very surprised”
Monroe County schools
would put. Stewart, in a
classroom.
“Nobody ever talked
to me from the school
about, it,” said Hull. ‘This
[molestation conviction]
happened when he was
a sub, so it. seems like a
terrible idea to have him
back at. a school.”
Hull said she under
stands schools and
daycares have the same
access to criminal records,
including arrests, that,
law enforcement, has,
so they should have
known. Despite repeated
requests, the school sys
tem has not. identified
what, service it. uses for
criminal background
checks.
“I’m just glad it. came to
light.,” said Hull.
The 119-page docket,
shows there was more
than just Stewart’s 2005
conviction for attempted
child molestation. Under
his 10-year proba
tion sentence, Stewart,
was ordered to avoid por
nography and children.
But. on May 12, 2015,
his probation officer Amy
Nelson found six por
nographic DVDs in his
vehicle, 17 pornographic
websites on his phone, 12
pornographic photos on
his cell phone, two sexu
ally suggestive text, con
versations on his phone
and photos of children on
his Facebook page and
cell phone.
For that, violation,
Stewart, went, before
Judge Howard Simms
who ordered him to take
sex offender classes again
and barred him from the
internet, for the duration
of his probation. Two
months later, his proba
tion ended on schedule.
On Monday, school
board chairman Nolen
Howard and vice chair
man J.P. Evans sent. out.
a letter to the community
noting that, the substitute
teacher was hired legally,
but. that, “information
has been provided to the
school district regarding
this individual and those
specific details about, the
individual’s past. that,
were not. available to
school officials prior to
employment.” The letter
said school officials would
evaluate their hiring pro
cesses and be in contact,
with legislators to sug
gest. a review of the first-
offender law.
Monroe County dis
trict. attorney, Jonathan
Adams, who used to work
in the Bibb County DA’s
office, said he agrees
with Hull that. Stewart,
never should’ve gotten
first, offender status, and
that, when he violated his
probation with all that,
pornography, he definitely
should have lost, his first-
offender status.
“Just, damn,” sighed
Adams, who has three
girls in Monroe County
schools. “I think this
.shows why it’s so impor
tant. for the school to
talk to law enforcement,
whenever there is any
thing questionable in a
criminal history. I don’t,
know what, the school
saw in the criminal his
tory or who they talked
to regarding this indi
vidual but. I’m sure they
would agree with the rest,
of the community that,
based on the facts of this
case, Mr. Stewart, is not.
an appropriate person
to have employed by
our system. We need to
review how the criminal
histories are provided
to the school and who
is reviewing them there
to ensure this doesn’t,
happen again. I’m just
glad you ran the article,
otherwise we would have
had no idea.”
Adams added that, if
any parent, has any infor
mation that, may provide
probable cause to believe
potential criminal conduct,
occurred with this indi
vidual in our school
system, please contact,
his office or the Sheriff’s
office at. 994-7048.
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