Former Military School Official Facing Retrial in Molestation Case

Jeffrey Barton was arrested on October 17, 2013, on the charge of molesting two students at the Army Navy Academy, one of them more than 50 times over a 2-year period in his office, cottage, car, and on an overnight, school-sanctioned trip. He pleaded not guilty to fondling, oral copulation, and sodomy of a minor.

Prior to this charge, he was fired from a boys’ boarding school in Tennessee after allegedly fondling an eighth-grader. Another man came forward and accused Barton of abusing him when he was a teenage cadet at a South Carolina school in 1983.

Barton’s first trial began in fall 2015. At the end of that month-long proceeding, a North County jury deadlocked. They also cleared Barton on four charges alleging he drugged and molested two cadets on a 1997 ski trip. However, the jury hung on a fifth count related to one of those cadets.

The former headmaster is now facing a retrial after the deadlock. The prosecutors are retrying the 59-year-old on 11 felony charges, accusing him of repeatedly molesting a cadet from 1999 to 2001. He faces a prison sentence of 88 years if convicted and is jailed instead of paying a $1 million bail.

The retrial will have testimony from two additional accusers, whose allegations date to the mid-1980s and cover boarding schools in other states. Though he is not being formally charged with their molestations, the jury can consider the testimony as corroborating evidence as they make their decision.

Manly, Stewart & Finaldi represents alleged victims of Barton in civil actions against him and the Army Navy Academy.

For more information about the case, read two of our other blogs here and here. If you want to start your own case, talk to one of our California child sexual abuse lawyers today. Our firm is dedicated to pursuing justice in these types of claims and securing restitution and peace of mind for our clients. We have recovered more than $1.5 billion in relief for our clients from the nation’s largest school districts, municipalities, religious institutions, Fortune 500 companies, and sports and youth organizations. Our attorneys and cases are also routinely featured in the country’s leading newspapers and television programs.

We are experienced in pursuing all types of sexual abuse cases and are leaders in the civil prosecution of offenders. We can take aggressive action against sex offenders and weed out the criminals and those who choose to protect them. Our goal is to make the public safer by putting dangerous people behind bars. We are also compassionate toward our clients and respectful of their situation. We know it takes courage to step forward and confront an individual who has committed a sexual crime against you. Give us a call at (800) 700-8450 or fill out our online form to schedule a case review today.