New charges filed against Dierkes

A second victim is named in new sex charges filed against a former high school teacher who was a state police officer at the time of his arrest. James T. Dierkes is named in nine new counts of criminal sexual assault filed on Thursday by the office of Fayette County State’s Attorney Joshua Morrison. Six of the new counts included in a second case allege that Dierkes, 29, of Greenville, had sexual intercourse with a student under the age of 18, and three of them allege that the second victim performed oral sex on him, with each of the charges alleging a separate incident. All of the charges are Class 1 felonies punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The new charges were read to Dierkes during a hearing that was originally scheduled to be on a motion to reduce bond that was filed by Dierkes’ attorney, Brian Polinske of Edwardsville. His bond was set at $1 million in the first case, and Morrison asked for a separate bond of $1 million in teh second case. In the second case, Fayette County Resident Circuit Judge Don Sheafor set bond at $500,000, meaning that Dierkes’ bond is now $1.5 million. In asking for $1 million bond, Morrison said it’s alleged in the second case that Dierkes had sex with the victim multiple times in his office at the Okaw Area Vocational Center, always during school hours with other students in a classroom next to his office. Dierkes was an art teacher at the vocational center from 2012-18. He also served as a coach at the junior high and high school in Vandalia. Dierkes graduated from the Illinois State Police academy in December of last year and completed field training in May of this year, according to online records. Morrison said it’s alleged that the second victim had sex with Dierkes in exchange for not doing homework or not being in class promptly. In noting that the investigation is continuing, Morrison also told Sheafor that “there may be at least four or five more (victims), maybe more.” “This is a tremendous betrayal of trust,” Morrison said. “These are girls who were vulnerable and he took advantage of that … clearly,” he said. Saying that there may be photos on the phones of both the victim and Dierkes, Morrison said it’s alleged that the victim claims sending hundreds of photos and videos to him, adding that that would be classified as child pornography. Dierkes’ attorney asked to reset a hearing on his motion for bond reduction due to the fact that the investigation is continuing and additional charges could be filed. At the end of Thursday’s hearing, Dierkes’ attorney said his client waived his right for a preliminary hearing, during which a judge determined whether there is probable cause to hold him over for trial. Last Wednesday, a Fayette County grand jury indicted Dierkes on charges of criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. With a true bill of indictment returned by a grand jury, which is made up of randomly selected local residents, there is not a need for a preliminary hearing.