Poland student, 17, charged with rape
POLAND — Rape allegations against a Poland Seminary High School student dating back to November have led to numerous charges filed against him in juvenile court.
Alvin Jefferies, an 11th grader, was accused of raping a ninth-grader inside the school auditorium Dec. 4. He was arraigned in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Juvenile Division last month before Magistrate Karen Romano Melone.
Jeffreries, 17, was charged with eight counts of rape, six counts of assault, 13 counts of pandering obscenity of a minor or impaired person and three counts of illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance.
A court employee also explained that additional charges, including 10 counts of telephone harassment and 10 counts of violation of a protection order, were added to the case.
Jefferies’ next court appearance is scheduled March 19.
According to the police report, the victim, 14, claimed that Jefferies filmed himself sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions. She further stated in the police report that Jefferies physically and sexually assaulted her off school grounds as well.
Poland Township police began interviewing school personnel and other students as potential witnesses after the school district already had started its own investigation. The district also was required to turn over all Google conversations between the two students, and video surveillance involving the two.
Police learned Dec. 6, after a complaint was filed to the department, that there may have been additional victims to Jefferies’ alleged actions.
ALLEGATIONS
On Dec. 6, a school guidance counselor asked a school resource officer for assistance after the 14-year-old victim wrote a statement to the school describing how Jefferies allegedly sexually and mentally abused her, according to the report.
The student told school personnel and police that Jefferies, according to the report, lured her to the auditorium Dec. 4, where he forced her to have sex in between curtains on the stage. The victim then said Jefferies claimed he would blackmail her with the video if she told authorities.
She also mentioned in the report that Jefferies said he would commit suicide if she didn’t cooperate.
According to the report, Jefferies and his mother turned over his iPhone and confirmed to an officer there were pornographic images and videos of the victim on it.
Jefferies admitted to meeting with the girl in the auditorium, and said she “gave him oral sex,” the report continued.
Afterward, an officer called Jefferies’ mother requesting the passcode to his cellphone, but she refused to share it due to advice she received from her father, who is a lawyer.
According to the report, another student also came forward, alleging that Jefferies had pinned her down and attempted to have sex with her off school grounds in May, but the student claimed she “got free.” Her parents were notified, according to the report, but they did not pursue the issue.
Officers also met with another potential victim who dated Jefferies last school year. She said she was never sexually assaulted by Jefferies, but stated that he was “very weird” in a report.
A student interviewed Dec. 8 was cleaning band equipment at the time of the incident, the report states, and told police they heard a clap noise from the back of the auditorium. The student saw Jefferies and eventually recognized another person walking out as the victim, the report states.
“She looked worried and had closed body behavior, with her head down, walking fast,” the witness wrote in the report. “During the cleaning up, he helped me and talked normal, unlike (the victim). They were behind the chairs in the back left corner on the floor. I just saw Jefferies at first. Jefferies has made many other inappropriate comments and actions toward other people.”
dnewman@tribtoday.com