Preliminary hearing in former Jasper teacher's aide sex case delayed

The preliminary hearing for a former Jasper High School teacher's aide charged with statutory rape and statutory sodomy, originally scheduled for today, has been postponed until 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 23, before Judge Richard Copeland in Jasper County Circuit Court.

Janice Lorene Rusk, 43, Carthage, was an aide in the special education department at Jasper High School at the time the crimes were allegedly committed.

The Jasper County Sheriff's Department began its investigation after being told by the Jasper Police Department of reports of sexual contact between Ms. Rusk and "several juvenile males," according to the probable cause statement.

I made contact with D.S., a 16-year-old male on April 2, 2014. During an interview, D. S. said that on a day in the first week of December 2013, he had deviate sexual intercourse and sexual intercourse with Rusk.

D. S. explained that he had been texting Rusk for a while an they agreed to meet on a bridge at the west edge of B. S.'s family property on Baseline Blvd. in Jasper County.