Judge: Evidence exists to try teacher on sex charges

VIRGINIA CITY " A former Virginia City High School drama teacher will be tried on charges that he sexually assaulted a male student more than 10 years ago and inappropriately touched another last April, a judge determined Wednesday.

Following a nearly five-hour preliminary hearing in which the two alleged victims testified, Storey County Justice Court Senior Judge Edward R. Johnson determined there was enough evidence to try William Beeson, 58, on a count of felony sexual assault and gross misdemeanor unlawful contact with a child.

Assistant District Attorney Laura Grant dismissed an alternate charge of sexual assault on a child under 16 after determining on direct examination that one of the victims was 16 at the time of the alleged sexual assault. The remaining sexual assault charge pertains to the same victim.

Beeson was buoyed by support from a standing-room-only crowd during his arraignment in January, but on Wednesday the courtroom was largely empty.

Defense Attorney John Arrascada asked Judge Johnson to dismiss all of the charges, specifically the gross misdemeanor, saying that the state failed to prove the element of willful and malicious intent on Beeson's part to harass the alleged victim from April.

Assistant district attorney Grant argued the willful and malicious intent pertained only to the repetitive way in which Beeson allegedly rubbed the back of the alleged victim before eventually putting his hand into the waistband of the boy's underwear, all of which was caught on tape during a rehearsal at Piper's Opera House.

The boy testified Wednesday that three weeks after Beeson allegedly slid his hand into the boy's pants, Beeson again rubbed the boy's back and the student shoved the teacher and threatened to "break his jaw."

In sometimes tearful testimony Wednesday morning, a 28-year-old man said that in 1996 Beeson gave him liquor and when the alleged victim was intoxicated, the teacher engaged in oral sex with him on at least four occasions in January, February, March and April.

Arrascada said the 28-year-old victim's self-admitted history of drug and alcohol abuse and bipolar disorder, coupled with the fact that he never pursued charges against Beeson when the allegations were first reported to the Storey County District Attorney's Office in 1998 , pointed to the man's suspect character.

"(The alleged victim) is a mentally disturbed person ... bipolar, a habitual meth user. If he was up here telling the truth, why would he sit on it so long?" Arrascada asked in his closing argument.

"It's not (the alleged victim's) fault that the Storey County district attorney didn't press charges," Grant said in rebuttal. "This is a boy " a man " who is still reduced to tears by (the assault) to this day. This (assault) has been a turning point in his life. That's when the substance- abuse problem came into his life."

Beeson, a drama and remedial English teacher, and Storey County resident for 30 years, was arrested In January. Upon posting bail, he was ordered by the court to not have any contact with any child under the age of 18 unless another adult is present.

On May 2, he was arrested at his job for allegedly being in the company of a 16-year-old male described by a Storey County Sheriff's Office as a runaway.

Beeson was released on house arrest again, and sentenced to time served for the violation of his bail conditions.

He will be arraigned later this month in district court on the sexual assault and contact charges. He remains free on bail, with an ankle monitor.

- Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.