Trial date set for former football player in sex-abuse case

A new trial date has been set for a former East High School football player charged with multiple sex crimes involving two young children.

The teen has already been found guilty in a separate case of forcible sexual abuse and attempted forcible sodomy, both

first-degree felonies, and class A misdemeanor lewdness. Those charges stem from a school locker room hazing incident.

The teen was to be sentenced Thursday on those convictions and a juvenile court judge was going to get more information

about the separate case involving the children.

However, an evaluation of the teen has not been completed. In addition, the teen's parents have hired a new attorney,

Howard Stone, who told the court he needed time to prepare to handle the case involving allegations about the younger children.

"I'm very anxious to see the results of the evaluation," said 3rd District Juvenile Judge Dane Nolan.

The teen currently is in juvenile detention.

Stone asked the court to release the 16-year-old to his parents on a form of house arrest, saying that he is confident that they would provide thorough supervision and get him to all court appearances.

Nolan, however, denied the request for release. The judge set trial dates of June 6 and June 9, and it is expected that the disposition of the hazing-related convictions also will be handled as part of those hearings.

The charges that remain include two counts of attempted sodomy on a child, a second-degree felony; two counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; and lewdness involving a child, a third-degree felony.

Five of the boy's former teammates and a coach attended Thursday's hearing, as did the teen's mother and father.