FARMINGTON – A former firefighter instructor pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of unlawful sexual contact and furnishing alcohol to a minor Friday in court. Under a new court process, John “Jack” T. Berry, 51, of Fayette entered no pleas on felony charges he faces.
The grand jury will decide whether those charges have merit when it meets April 10 and April 11. Otherwise, there will be a status conference in June.
Berry made an initial appearance Friday in Franklin County Superior Court in Farmington with his attorney, David Sanders. State police arrested Berry in February on a charge of gross sexual assault against a girl under age 18.
Though police initially said the incident occurred at Berry’s camp in Township E in early December, the official complaint now states Township D in Franklin County between Nov. 26 and Dec. 5, 2005.
The girl had confided with friends in February and the state police launched an investigation into the allegation.
Berry, a retired Auburn firefighter and firefighter in different towns, resigned his job as a firefighting instructor at the Foster Regional Applied Technology Center in Farmington a few days after he was charged. He had been on staff through a grant program. This was the first school year he was on the payroll of SAD 9.
The grand jury is expected to determine which charges Berry should face, if any, in April.
The last charge on the complaint is a misdemeanor furnishing of alcohol to a minor.
Justice Joseph Jabar continued the initial bail of $2,500 cash set when Berry was arrested Feb. 27. It was posted then with amended conditions. He is not to have any contact with the victim, direct or indirect, and not to possess alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs and will submit to random searches and testing.
The initial condition of not possessing any dangerous weapons, including firearms, was deleted at the request of his attorney. Outside the courtroom, Berry’s attorney, Sanders said that his client “is upset with the charges.”
He has had to resign his position as a firefighter instructor.
His whole life is being held in abeyance until these charges are resolved, Sanders said.
Comments are no longer available on this story