Ex-teacher appears in court on sex charges

SKOWHEGAN – Repeatedly wiping his eyes as he stood before Judge Charles Laverdiere on Wednesday morning in District Court, James P. Morel listened with bowed head as the charges against him were stated: three counts of gross sexual assault.

Morel, 25, is accused of repeated sexual assaults on a 16-year-old student at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield between May and September 2003 while he was employed by the school as a math teacher.

He abruptly left the school this summer before he was charged with the crimes and before school officials were aware of the allegations.

Although police will not detail where the assaults occurred, Morel lived in an MCI dormitory during his employment.

Somerset County District Attorney Evert Fowle said no other alleged victims have come forward since the charges against Morel were made public by the Bangor Daily News in August.

Morel made his first court appearance Wednesday, and bail was set at $750 cash with conditions that he have no contact with his alleged victim, that he not return to MCI or any other place of education, and that he not have contact with any children under the age of 16.

Because of the seriousness of the felony charges, the judge would not accept a plea from Morel and set Nov. 21 for a probable cause hearing.

Laverdiere cautioned the former teacher that he could be indicted earlier than the November date by a Somerset County grand jury expected to convene in October.

Although he was provided advice prior to the hearing by attorney John Alsop of Norridgewock, Morel stood alone in the courtroom and requested a court-appointed attorney. He wore a dark suit, white shirt and maroon tie.

Somerset County Assistant District Attorney James Mitchell told the judge “this is a full confession case.”

Laverdiere told Morel that he could face five years in prison and a $5,000 fine on each count lodged against him.

Morel had been hired as a permanent teacher in 2003 after he came to MCI a year earlier from the University of Maine at Farmington as a student teacher. His victim was not a student in Morel’s class, officials said.

He reportedly is living now in Kittery.