Former Harrison County teacher files plea for molestation charges

CORYDON, IN (WAVE) - A former Harrison County teacher and coach accused of more than 30 counts of child molestation related to a former student has filed a plea agreement for three of them.

Corey R. Faith, 40 at the time of his arrest, was charged in March with 36 counts of Class A child molestation alleged to have occurred between 2005 and 2007 with a female student under 14 years old who attended New Middletown Elementary at the onset of the alleged abuse.

A blind plea agreement filed Sept. 10 in Harrison County Superior Court lists three of these — count Nos. 1, 24 and 33 — with the remaining charges to be dropped. The blind plea means no sentencing is listed, giving that discretion solely to the judge. Each of Faith's charges could carry between 20 and 50 years with an advisory of 30, under the sentencing guidelines in place prior to July 2014.

Harrison County Superior Court Judge Joseph Claypool took the plea under advisement.

At an initial hearing in March, Faith's bond was set at $250,000 by the judge. The defendant remained in jail until a request was granted to lower it; he was released June 29 after meeting the new $150,000 cash-only bond.

Also at the June hearing, a motion for change of venue on behalf of Faith was denied.

The Harrison County Sheriff's Department began investigating the case March 19, following a tip from a friend of the victim, who is now an adult. Police traveled out of state to speak with her.

The victim told officers about multiple sex acts that had occurred between her and Faith during her sixth- and seventh-grade years, which allegedly took place at his home, her home, his parents' home, multiple places within the school and in his car.

Harrison County Prosecutor Otto Schalk declined to comment much on the case until sentencing, for which a hearing is scheduled at 9 a.m. Nov. 8 in Harrison County Superior Court.

He said the state had not yet determined what would be recommended to the judge for sentencing, but he said he anticipated arguing that there were aggravating circumstances in the case.

Faith’s attorney, Bart Betteau, could not be reached for comment Monday.