Fmr. Lebanon teacher arrested again

BOONE COUNTY, Ind.. (LEBANON REPORTER) - Wednesday, former Lebanon Middle School teacher and coach, Robert Willhite Jr., was scheduled to enter a plea on child seduction charges leveled against him in March. Instead, Willhite was arrested again.

Willhite was arrested on the two standing charges at 4:37 p.m. Wednesday, 2 1/2 hours after his hearing was postponed and shortly after the court revoked his bond and ordered a warrant for his arrest.

Willhite Jr., 53, who now lives in Crawfordsville, was charged March 3 with two counts of child seduction; he was to appear in Boone Superior Court II for a plea hearing at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Boone County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Jeff Edens said Willhite's bond was revoked because Willhite violated the protective orderagainst him outside ofBoone County.

When the hearing was to begin, Edens told Judge Rebecca McClure the state was not ready and asked for a continuance. McClure set the hearing for June 30. Shortly after rescheduling the hearing, court docket entries show that Edens and Tom Whitsitt, Willhite’s attorney, met in a conference with Judge McClure and changed the hearing to 8 a.m. June 18.

Also, following the aborted plea hearing, Edens filed a copy of a statement signed March 4 by Willhite acknowledging his receipt of a copy of a no-contact order, saying Willhite would have no contact with the victim or her family.

Edens then made a request to revoke Willhite’s bond. After Lebanon Police Captain Det. Maurice Hobson Jr. was questioned under oath, the court ordered Willhite’s bond revoked and issued a warrant for his arrest.

From WISH-TV news gathering partner The Lebanon Reporter .