Young pleads in Harlem rape case

Former Harlem High School teacher Jack Garner Young, currently being held on a felony charge of sexual intercourse without consent with one of his students as well as misdemeanor counts of sexual assault and indecent exposure, changed his plea to guilty Monday afternoon during a hearing at the Blaine County Courthouse.

Young originally pleaded not guilty in May of this year, but on Monday changed his plea, admitting to having penetrative intercourse with a 16-year-old student.

While the age of consent in Montana is 16 years old, the relationship between Young and the victim, identified as Jane Doe, as teacher and student makes consent impossible to give in these circumstances under Montana law.

At Monday’s hearing, after making sure Young understood all of his rights and the ramifications of changing his plea, Judge Yvonne Laird accepted the change of plea and set the date for sentencing hearing for Feb. 27, 2023, which will allow a psychosexual evaluation of Young to be completed, as required by law.

Laird said the family of the victim has not asked for restitution but told Young that it is possible for them to request it in the future.

According to a court document, Blaine County Sheriff’s Office was contacted April 13 by a person who works with high school students to report a student said they were sexually assaulted by a teacher. She reported multiple incidents during normal school hours occurred.

Doe said while being interviewed by law enforcement April 21 that Young would be extremely friendly with her, frequently touching her shoulder or leaning over her.

She said she contacted Young in November asking for makeup work for a missed day of school and Young said he did not feel safe telling her over the school email and asked her to use Facebook or Snapchat, later asking her to delate her Facebook Messenger messages she sent and to specifically use Snapchat. Doe said she began communicating with Young via Snapchat.

She said she later left several messages Young sent her unanswered but he continued to message her, including sending pictures of himself nude. She told the officers Young told her if she sent him nude pictures of herself to him it would improve her grade in his class.

She said Young eventually wanted to meet her in person and when they were alone he would try to kiss her, with her telling him not to.

At one point he pulled down her mask and kissed her and grabbed her hand and had her touch his genitals. She told the officers she was very uncomfortable and froze up.

Doe said in later incidents he used his hand to touch her sexually.

She told officers he continued to send her graphic nude photos of himself, including in Harlem High School, and asking her to send sexual nude photos of herself to him.

Blaine County Sheriff’s Office applied for and obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s residence April 22.

The officers searched the residence, and during an interview Young admitted to receiving photos of girls younger than 18. He said it was the first time he had been inappropriate with a student but felt as though he was being “pursued,” the document said.