DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Daniel Jones, flanked by attorney Myron Takemoto and mother Lorena Jones, left court yesterday after being acquitted on 12 of 18 sexual-assault charges. A mistrial was declared on the six remaining counts; a new trial was set for August.

Ex-dance teacher faces new trial

A jury acquits him on 12 of 18 sex-assault charges, with a mistrial on the others

A Circuit Court jury found former Aiea dance teacher Daniel Jones not guilty of 12 of 18 sexual assault charges involving five female students.

The jury could not reach unanimous verdicts on six remaining charges, prompting Circuit Judge Virginia Crandall to declare a mistrial on those counts and set trial for the week of Aug. 28.

Prosecutors say they intend to retry Jones on the remaining sexual assault counts, which involve two girls including two Class A felonies punishable by a 20-year term.

Jones, a teacher at the Rosalie Woodson Dance Academy on Moanalua Road, was accused of sexually assaulting the girls -- then 12- to 14-years-old -- over a one-year period beginning July 2004. The assaults allegedly occurred during a campout at Kualoa, at the girls' homes, and at the dance studio.

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM As the verdict for Daniel Jones was read yesterday, emotions ran high among his family and friends, including: Rosalie Woodson, left, owner of the dance studio where Jones worked; sisters Kina Fleming and Kelly Jones; mother Lorena Jones; father Ed Higa; and sister Katherine Jones and her husband, Peter Togawa.

An emotional Jones declined to comment after the verdict and was whisked from the courtroom by family members. His attorneys say the jury reached the proper verdicts but they will be filing pretrial motions to dismiss the remaining charges.

"It's been devastating for the family, as well as Daniel," said defense attorney Myron Takemoto afterward. "This is a dark cloud over his head that doesn't go away, and I don't think will ever go away" despite the acquittals on the 12 counts, he said. "There's still going to be people who believe he's guilty despite the jury's verdict in this case."

Jurors declined to comment afterward.

Prosecutors had maintained at trial that Jones, who was regarded as a brother by many of the girls and trusted by their parents, violated the position of trust and authority he held as a teacher.

The girls described instances where Jones attempted to hypnotize them before touching them in their private areas. One girl described being made to perform oral sex on Jones.

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Daniel Jones, center, with his attorneys Myron Takemoto, right, and Ken Shimozono, waited anxiously in the courtroom yesterday as they watched the jury file in.

Prosecutors played two conversations recorded by the father of one of the girls in which Jones appeared to be apologizing.

But the defense maintained that Jones was simply trying to placate the father who had threatened to press charges if Jones didn't appear remorseful. The defense argued early on that the girls made up the stories because Jones had rejected one of them who had a crush on him.

When asked if the verdicts prove that Jones didn't do what he was accused of, Takemoto replied, "I think the jury has made its verdict on 12 of the 18 charges that Mr. Jones is not guilty and we believe justice was done, but there's still six remaining counts and we will pursue those vigorously."

The length of the deliberations and the verdicts reached by the jury suggest there were issues with the girls' credibility, Takemoto said. Jones did not take the stand.

Prosecutors said the jury deliberated as diligently as they could but declined to comment at all about the verdicts because of the pending trial on the remaining counts.

Besides Jones' parents and three sisters, also present during the reading of the verdicts was Rosalie Woodson, who founded the dance studio in 1957.

"I support him and will continue to support him because I know that he's not guilty," Woodson said as she left. "He's a very fine young man and they should be putting as much effort to the outside world that needs to be attended to instead of bringing this young man down. ... He's a good guy."