Sex crimes case against former Porterville Military Academy staff member continues

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- No cameras or audio were allowed in the courtroom Monday as 14 jurors listened to testimony in the case against James Van Norton.

In 2019, he was accused of sex crimes against a 14-year-old girl he met while he was a teacher at the Porterville Military Academy.

Two years after that, the Tulare County District Attorney's Office charged him with 28 felony sex crimes against the teen.

In court on Monday, detectives, a forensic scientist, and a registered nurse testified.

Van Norton's ex-wife also took the stand.

"That conversation when he got home from jail. He just wanted to tell me the truth and what he was being accused of did happen but that everything will be okay though and then he gave me details about what happened," she recalled.

"What did he share?" asked the prosecutor.

"Some details he had given me was that he did go and pick her up that day. He had picked her up approximately six times before and there were encounters that happened during those times," said Van Norton's ex-wife. "He said that they did sexual things six times."

Van Norton's wife filed for divorce in 2022.

"I came to realize that It's not my fault and he can't blame me. I feel that this happened to me, this happened to our children. And I have a daughter and I think what would I want someone to do if they were in my shoes," she explained.

Van Norton and his attorney declined our request to interview.

He will be back in court on Tuesday in Porterville.

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