Dierkes Faces Nine Additional Sexual Assault Charges

A former teacher at the Okaw Area Vocation Center in Vandalia faces nine additional sexual assault charges filed against him.

29-year-old James Dierkes of Greenville is accused of being a person in a position of trust, authority or supervision when he allegedly committed the acts on two victims under the age of 18.   The sex acts allegedly occurred on six occasions with one victim and three times with the other between November 2017 and September 28th of this year.

Fayette County State’s Attorney Josh Morrison says additional charges could still be filed as investigators are reviewing pictures and videos and looking for other possible victims.

Dierkes has been indicted by a Fayette County Grand Jury on the two original charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and criminal sexual assault that he was arrested on earlier this month.

Dierkes’ original bond was set at $1-million dollars with an additional half-million dollars being added for the nine new charges.   He remains in the Fayette County Jail at Vandalia.  A hearing to request a reduction in the bond is set for January 14th.

Dierkes had left the employment of the Vandalia School District and was serving as a State Trooper at the time the investigation began into the allegations.  He has since been fired by State Police.