Young enough to be his daughter. The former World Natural Body Building Federation professional body builder was "sorry for his lack in judgment."
Jan 29, 2008 - Craig Yarnall, 37, a physical education teacher at Colonia Middle School and a coach at Colonia High School, was arrested on charges he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student. He faces charges of two second-degree charges of official misconduct and sexual assault.
Police found Yarnall in a parked car in a park with the 17-year-old girl. Investigators later determined Yarnall had a sexual relationship with the girl that began in April - when the girl was 16. He was suspended with pay.
Woodbridge middle-school gym teacher charged with sexual assault (Home News Tribune)
Authorities are urging anyone with information on Yarnall to contact Detectives Michael Dacrosta or Michael Ng of the Woodbridge Township Police Department at (732) 634-7700, or Investigator James Mullin of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Sex Crimes Unit at (732) 745-3600.
ARRAIGNMENT Jan 31 - At his arraignment, Yarnall appeared without an attorney and said that he hadn't been been able to get a phone call since his arrest on Tuesday. He was due to use the phone at Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick yesterday before being taken to court, he said. DeVesa said he would arrange for access to a phone.
Yarnall is married. Bail was set for $150,000 with no 10% cash option. Next court date is Feb 8.
Two Colonia High School teachers are mentioned: Michael Petak and Karen Binder. (Links are to TT entries.)
GUILTY May 23 - Yarnall pleaded guilty Thursday morning to official misconduct for having sex with a teenage girl and "agreed to a three-year prison term" in exchange for his guilty plea.
He stands a chance, however, of being accepted into an intensive parole supervision program, making it possible he will only serve a few months in prison.Yarnall also must give up his teacher's license and can never hold a public job in New Jersey.He is scheduled to be sentenced July 18.
TT - We call it Bargains when a teacher "agrees to give up" their license in plea negotiations because it demonstrates how difficult it is to revoke a license when the license itself becomes a bargaining tool that gives the educator an advantage that no other citizen is given. Revocation should be automatic and guaranteed for sex offenders. That it is not is shameful.
SENTENCED July 18 - Yarnall was sentenced to three years in prison.
Craig Yarnall, 38, of Woodbridge apologized and said the entire episode had been hardship for his wife and their infant twin sons.In exchange for the guilty plea, the count of official misconduct was downgraded from a second-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree misdemeanor and the count of sexual assault was dismissed.
By pleading guilty, Yarnall avoided trial, a maximum prison term of 10 years, and being placed on the Megan's Law list of sexual offenders.
UPPERCASE Superior Court Judge Frederick DeVesa agreed with the state that the aggravating factors of the inappropriate sexual relationship between a teacher, who is supposed to exhibit moral, ethical behavior, and a teenage student, outweighed the mitigating factors that Yarnall has a previously clean record and is at low risk to commit another offense.
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TT - Not mentioned in any article are the other Colonia High School teachers in the news.
Michael Petak, 31, sentenced to probation for witness tampering (no explanation). Entry
Karen Binder, 42, Entry arrested for official misconduct related to sexually explicit text messages sent to a pair of students. No resolution to her case online.
