Document text
Ex-teacher sentenced in sex case By Chris Bristol Six years ago, Mike Jager�s popularity and innovative style led to recognition as the nation�s Outstanding Social Studies Teacher of the Year. On Monday, the former Hedrick Middle School teacher was sentenced to seven months in jail for molesting his teenage stepson. "I botched my job as a parent," Jager said, his voice barely audible as he quickly read from a prepared statement to the court. Jager, 47, once faced a mandatory sentence of more than six years in prison, and Jackson County Judge Dan Harris could have sent him to jail for a full year under the terms of a plea bargain with prosecutors. Instead, the judge opted for seven months in jail � with the condition that Jager create and implement a GED (general equivalency diploma) program for his fellow inmates. "I think you have the ability to give something back and benefit others who need the skills you offer," Harris said to Jager. "You certainly have the credentials." Jager pleaded guilty in April to a single charge of first-degree sexual abuse, admitting in court that he fondled his stepson, Joshua, at least twice. Prosecutors said Jager entered his son�s bedroom on six or seven consecutive nights around the time of the boy�s 16th birthday and fondled him as he slept. The boy woke up each time, leading to the installation of locks on his door and, eventually, a family confrontation. First-degree sexual abuse has carried a mandatory Measure 11 sentence of 75 months in prison since 1995. Before that, someone with Jager�s record would have faced no more than 20 months. Jager�s clean record and other factors qualified him for the old sentencing guidelines, prosecutors said; essentially, Jager was allowed to plead to a charge that predated the passage of Measure 11. In court Monday, District Attorney Mark Huddleston argued that Jager nevertheless deserved a year in jail because he violated not only his son but also the public trust inherent in members of the teaching profession . "My point is, he ought to know better," Huddleston said. "Teachers have a higher responsibility for all children, including their own." The crime undoubtedly had an effect on the boy, Huddleston said. Now 19, Josh Jager is serving a 34-month prison sentence for beating and robbing his landlord last year. "It helped lead to my downfall," Josh Jager said, according to a statement read by Huddleston. "My self-worth is almost non-existent and led me to make the choices I made." For their part, defense attorneys Carl Caplan and Jeni Feinberg argued that treatment is more effective than jail. A psychiatrist found no evidence that Jager is a predatory pedophile. They also noted that Jager was never accused of molesting any students. A veteran teacher of 10 years at Hedrick, Jager also coached boys� and girls� basketball and took students on camping trips that re-created the conditions faced by Oregon Trail pioneers, an example of the innovative techniques that won him the 1994 award. "It (the conviction) has cost him dearly, both in his personal life and his professional life," Caplan told the court, alluding to the breakup of Jager�s marriage and his forced resignation from Hedrick. "Our plea is that he be treated the same as anyone else." Harris was the same judge who sentenced Josh Jager to prison, and he noted it for the record. The prison sentence for robbery was mandatory under Measure 11."This event did have an impact on his life," the judge said. In addition to the seven-month sentence, Harris placed Jager on 10 years of supervised probation and ordered a compensatory fine of $7,500. The fine is payable directly to Jager�s son, along with restitution for counseling. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA