Hung jury in Logan teacher sex abuse case

LOGAN — A jury in the trial of an elementary school teacher accused of sex abuse couldn't reach a verdict, resulting in a mistrial.

The jury deliberated for more than a day in the trial of Alan Roy Willey, 52, before announcing they could not reach a verdict Wednesday afternoon. The decision was 4-4 to convict or acquit, Cache County prosecutors said.

After a judge in Logan's 1st District Court declared a mistrial, he set a status conference for December, when prosecutors expect to set another trial date, likely in March or April 2007.

Willey is charged with nine counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child, a first-degree felony. He is accused of sexually abusing a student in class 12 years ago. Logan police said the victim was in Willey's fourth-grade class but only recently came forward to reveal the alleged abuse.