A privately paid Skyview High School band assistant pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon to sexual misconduct with two students.
Adrian B. Kelley, 23, was arraigned on six counts of first-degree sexual misconduct of a minor. His attorney, Clark Fridley, told the judge his client understood the allegations against him and waived a formal reading of the charges.
While the age of consent in Washington is 16, prosecutors charged Kelley under the “abuse of trust” statute, which applies to adults who work with students.
Clark County Superior Court Judge John Wulle set a two-day trial for Jan. 3.
Deputy Prosecutor Mike Dodds also asked the judge for a sexual assault no-contact order, which was granted.
Kelley, a 2005 Skyview graduate, began working with the band program last year, and earned $1,125 a month from the band’s booster club. He befriended one of the students on a social networking site in winter 2009, according to court documents.
“(The then-16-year-old student) told us that she knew Adrian from school and although she is not involved in the band, has friends in the bands and hangs out with the band students and instructors on a regular basis,” according to a probable cause affidavit filed by sheriff’s Detective Todd Barsness.
She told investigators the relationship became sexual in the spring. She also said she knew of a second student who had been involved with Kelley.
That student, also 16 at the time, knew Kelley from her involvement with the band and also became friends with Kelley on a social networking site. She said they started a physical relationship in March or February, according to court documents.
The six counts relate to multiple occasions of alleged sexual activity between Kelley and the students.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Kelley, who has no criminal history, on Oct. 5. He was released the next day to live with his parents pending trial.
After Kelley graduated from Skyview, he attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston. According to Columbian archives, he received a $14,000 renewable World Scholarship Tour Award to attend the school and study music performance and competition.
Kelley’s arrest was the first of two sex scandals to rock Skyview last week. Science teacher Nathan J. Botnen was arrested two days after Kelley on suspicion of sexual misconduct with a student. He will be arraigned Friday.
Laura McVicker: 360-735-4516 or laura.mcvicker@columbian.com.
