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	Not Guilty Plea in Sex Abuse Case Bloomington Teacher Is Accused; Minister Expresses Support for Him By Fitzgerald M. Doubet Peoria Journal Star May 19, 2007 http://www.pjstar.com/stories/051907/REG_BD8M3FJC.033.php Bloomington - With his hand on a Bible, James C. Love, a former Bloomington substitute teacher, pleaded not guilty Friday to charges he sedated and sexually abused four teenage boys. Love, 37, is charged in McLean County Circuit Court with four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and four counts of aggravated battery. He is accused of sedating the boys with an anesthetic agent before abusing them. Authorities say the boys were molested within the last five weeks at Love's home in Bloomington. Love was arrested May 4 on charges involving one boy and was released on $10,000 bond the next day. He was again arrested the following week on similar charges involving two more boys and was indicted Wednesday on additional charges after a fourth boy leveled claims. Love is now being held on $400,000 bond. A status hearing is scheduled for June 22. Love entered the courtroom Friday smiling and carrying a red Bible he placed on Judge Kevin Fitzgerald's bench. Following the arraignment, he blew kisses to family members and supporters as he exited the courtroom. Outraged relatives of the boys yelled at Love in response. Among Love's supporters was the Rev. Frank McSwain of Mount Pisgah Baptist Church in Bloomington, where Love serves as a minister. McSwain expressed support for Love and said he and other church members are focused on all families affected by this case. "Everybody is hurting. We're concerned about all the families and those children," McSwain said. Police are asking other children and parents to contact authorities if they suspect abuse. Defense attorney Steve Skelton told reporters he doesn't think additional charges are a realistic concern. If convicted, Love could face up to five years in prison on each charge of battery and seven years for each charge of sexual abuse. Love's work with youth was cited when he received Bloomington's 2006 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. award, given annually to people who exemplify the ideals of the late civil rights leader. Love, a State Farm employee, is married and has a 14-year-old son. He also has been a substitute teacher for District 87 schools in Bloomington since 2002, and for Unit 5 schools in neighboring Normal since 2003, officials said. Love has been removed from both school districts' substitute lists pending the outcome of the criminal charges, officials said. Fitzgerald M. Doubet can be reached at 686-3041 or state@pjstar.com.
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