Ex-Elementary School Principal Convicted on 46 Counts in Child Sex Case

A former elementary school principal in New York State has been found guilty of multiple charges after standing trial for child sex abuse.

A jury found Kirk Ashton guilty of 46 out of 50 charges related to the abuse on Monday, according to NBC affiliate WHEC. Ashton, 52, was accused of abusing 26 boys during his 17-year tenure as the principal of Northwood Elementary School in Hilton, a suburb of Rochester. He was arrested and initially charged with nine counts in April 2021, and pleaded not guilty.

The Hilton Central School District said in a statement obtained by Newsweek that it was "grateful for today's verdict and humbled by the courage and commitment of all who were victimized."

"Our Road to Recovery continues," the district said. "Our entire professional staff remains focused on measures that will strengthen our policies and practices for observing, reporting and investigating concerns, with the common goal of keeping our children safe."

Ashton was charged with felony counts of first-degree sexual abuse and second-degree sexual conduct against a child, along with counts of endangering the welfare of a child, which is a misdemeanor, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

During a trial that lasted three weeks, over two dozen of Ashton's victims testified about incidents that had happened as recently as early 2021. The victims were all male and reportedly as young as 8 years old at the time of the abuse. The oldest victim to testify at trial was 21 years old, according to CBS affiliate WROC.

One of the victims testified about Ashton inviting him to his office to take part in a boys-only "lunch bunch" club. While inside the office, the boy said he was asked to sit on Ashton's lap and was touched inappropriately by the former principal.

Additional victims testified about similar incidents. The school's former assistant principal also testified that she saw Ashton acting inappropriately with young male students in his office, including sometimes witnessing students sitting on his lap.

Sara van Strydonck, assistant district attorney for Monroe County, reportedly argued that all of the victims displayed a similar "grooming" pattern, which involved Ashton rubbing their necks and reaching under their clothes to touch their private parts.

Ashton did not testify during the trial, while his legal team insisted that he was not guilty of the charges. In closing arguments last Thursday, Ashton's attorney Jason Housel questioned the credibility of the witness testimony.

Housel suggested that the victims may have been coached by the prosecution and maintained that the former principal was guilty only of being "touchy feely" while interacting with some of the boys.

Ashton is scheduled to be sentenced at a hearing on November 23. He could be facing up to 20 years in prison.

Newsweek reached out to Housel for comment.

Update 10/24/22, 6:51 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and background.