HANCOCK COUNTY — A Hancock County jury found a former New Palestine High School instructional assistant guilty of three felony crimes against a student. The decision comes following a three day trial in Hancock County Circuit Court.
Judge Scott Sirk read the three guilty verdicts seperately late Thursday, March 17 following the jury’s four hour deliberation.
Justin C. McCaw, 45, New Palestine, was found guilty of a Level 5 felony count of attempt to commit child seduction; a Level 6 felony count of stalking and a Level 6 felony count of official misconduct from an incident at the school in February, 2019.
The most serious charge against McCaw calls for a maximum of 6 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
Deputy prosecutors Kyle Lawver-Jones and Gabriel Brown presented the state’s case and asked Sirk to take McCaw into custody right away. Sirk agreed and officials from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department assocorted McCaw to the Hancock County Jail as soon as the courtroom cleared.
McCaw had been a fulltime instructional aide at the high school since April 2017. He was fired immediately by school officials once they learned of the incidents from the student in February 2019.
McCaw is slated to be sentenced for the crimes Thursday, April 14 in Circuit Court.
The Daily Reporter will have more information on this story in the Saturday paper.
