A former teacher of Mount Mourne Elementary is facing over 100 charges for indecent liberties with students in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Detective Sgt. Amy Dyson from the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Special Victim’s Unit has charged John Thomas Patterson with additional charges stemming from a child sexual abuse investigation that began in October 2012.
Patterson, of Mooresville, was a 4th grade teacher at Mount Mourne Elementary School for 17 years, until he resigned in 1987.
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According to the original allegations, Patterson had inappropriately touched four to five male students during the mid to late 1980’s. At that time he was charges with 14 counts of Taking Indecent Liberties from the initial investigation. 65-year old Patterson was placed under $100,000 bond on these charges.
Since then, multiple victims and witnesses have come forward that were students in Patterson’s class from the mid-1970’s to the late 1980’s. More than 16 child victims have been identified and charges have been filed in six of those cases. An additional 96 Taking Indecent Liberties with Children charges were filed and 1 First Degree Sex Offense was filed against Tom Patterson on February 28, 2013. Patterson was placed under an additional $350,000 bond on the new charges.
Patterson was placed under an additional $350,000 bond on the new charges.
According to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, most of the incidents occurred in the classroom, although there are some occasions that the abuse occurred outside of the classroom.
Currently there are male and female victims but the majority of the victims are males who were between the ages of 9-11 at the time of the abuse. The allegations are primarily of fondling and inappropriate touching.
The investigation is still ongoing. It is not known at this time whether any additional charges will be filed.
