Davis drama teacher accused of sex abuse negotiating plea deal

FARMINGTON — An attorney for a Woods Cross drama teacher accused of fondling a 14-year-old student said Friday that he is "actively negotiating" a plea deal in the case.

James D. Stokes, 61, is charged with two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony. His case was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Friday, but he waived the hearing and an arraignment date was set for Oct. 4.

Stokes entered the courtroom free from the handcuffs that hindered him in previous hearings, as he was able to post the reduced $20,000 bail. He declined to comment after the hearing, but his attorney, Craig Peterson, said his client is holding up well in the middle of this "trying time."

"I've been talking with the prosecutor's office," he said. "We're still waiting on a few reports, but we're actively negotiating the case with prosecutors."

Stokes was the drama teacher at the Legacy Preparatory Academy charter school in Woods Cross when he was accused of molesting a 14-year-old student. Prosecutors say he twice touched the girl inappropriately in his car while in Centerville in January.

The incidents allegedly happened in January when Stokes and the girl were preparing for a play. Stokes offered her a ride home after rehearsal and drove the girl to a remote area, where the assaults occurred, according to police. The girl told her parents what had happened in July, and Stokes was arrested the next month, just days before school was to start.

Stokes was about to begin his fourth year at the academy. Prior to that, he taught in the Ogden area at both a high school and a junior high school for six years.

— Emiley Morgan