Ex-Holt teacher sentenced to prison for sex assault of fifth-grade students

LANSING — A former Holt teacher will spend up to 15 years in prison after a jury convicted him of 18 counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. 

Patrick Daley, 36, stayed silent during his sentencing hearing Wednesday, even as several parents of the boys he was convicted of molesting begged him to admit what he had done. 

"Forgiveness can start today by admitting your crimes," the mother of one of the boys said. 

A jury convicted Daley, who had taught fifth grade at Washington Woods Elementary School in Holt for five years, of 18 counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct on Oct. 8. They found him not guilty on five counts of the same charge and could not make a decision on one count.

Wednesday, Daley was sentenced to seven to to 15 years in prison. 

Daley maintains his innocence

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Christina Johnson said rehabilitation could not begin until Daley admitted wrongdoing. 

Daley took the stand during the trial and said he did not know of any reason the children would have to lie. He said the students testified accurately, except for when they said he touched them on the buttocks, penis or inner thigh.

"This defendant continues to maintain the ridiculous testimony the jurors rejected," Johnson said. "(His actions were) not only predatory, but a sheer abuse of power." 

Raymond Correll, Daley's attorney, said Daley maintains his innocence — as he has the right to do. Even if it were true, he said, Daley would never be able to commit the same crime again.

"He'll clearly never be able to teach again," Correll said. "The facts of this case are incapable of being repeated." 

When Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Clinton Canady III asked Daley if he had anything to say before sentencing, Daley declined to speak. 

'No one in their right mind would do something like that' 

One of the boys, who Johnson said was "furthest along in the grooming process," told Daley he was disappointed in him. 

"I used to think what you did was my fault, but now I know I did nothing wrong," he said. "You should see a therapist because no one in their right mind would do something like that." 

The boy testified that Daley would touch him on the buttocks and penis at the same time — and did so regularly. 

His parents said Wednesday that he hadn't seen anything wrong with Daley's actions because Daley acted the same way with everyone. 

Another boy said Daley's abuse gave him nightmares and made him scared to stay home alone. It forced him to put his life on hold for more than a year while the criminal investigation proceeded. 

Daley was known for touching students

It wasn't unusual for Daley to touch his students, Johnson said during closing statements at the trial. He was known to often give pats on the back, rest his hand on the shoulders or give a high-five or side hug. 

Everyone knew about that, so no one paid attention to where his hand was, Johnson said. No one realized when it turned to sexual assault. 

"This trusted adult ... used this innocent touching as a way to gain access and sexually abuse these eight children," Johnson said. 

Four boys testified that Daley would let his hand slide down from their back to their buttocks as they stood at his desk to ask a question during class. 

Other times, Daley would come to the students' desks. One boy said Daley put his hand on his inner thigh and moved it toward his penis before the boy told him, "Please don't touch me down there" and pushed his hand away. 

One child testified that Daley touched his inner thigh and groin near the leg holes of his underwear and touched his thigh during quiet reading time, Johnson said. Another said Daley touched his leg inside his shorts, rubbed his thigh and patted his penis outside of his clothing.

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Contact reporter Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.