Sex exploitation trial for Anamosa teacher starts next week

ANAMOSA - A trial for an Anamosa middle school teacher charged with sexual exploitation of a female student will start Tuesday in Jones County District Court.

A hearing on Friday regarding a possible conflict was resolved and a judge denied a motion for a continuance. The hearing was in Linn County District Court because Jones doesn't have a judge on Fridays.

Assistant Jones County Attorney Christopher Lyon made the court and defense aware that one of the witnesses who were set to testify was a client at Lyon's law firm but wasn't his client. Lyon is a part-time county attorney and also works for a private practice in Monticello.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover-Grinde said based on the information she had, there wasn't a conflict. She added that she would leave it up to Lyon if he felt he had an ethical issue prosecuting the case and he could work that out with Jones County Attorney Phil Parsons.

Eric Schulz, 42, was charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee, an aggravated misdemeanor, in February, according to the Anamosa Journal-Eureka.

According to court documents, a juvenile female accused Schulz of making inappropriate sexual contact with her when she was staying after school in his classroom between January and February 2013.

The girl told police Schulz approached her from behind and touched her inappropriately, according to court documents. He allegedly asked her to take off her bra before she got up and left the classroom.

Anamosa police officer Amy Ford began investigating Schulz when police were notified Jan. 9, by DHS. The department learned of the incident from the girl's therapist.

Schulz has been on paid administrative leave. He had been teaching social studies in Anamosa since 1999. Before that, he taught at Midland Middle School in Lost Nation since 1994.