Ex-Madras prison worker abuse trial begins

A jury was selected Tuesday in the Bend trial of a former Madras state prison worker charged with 26 counts of sexual abuse involving a teen girl.

Jon Michael Yeakey II of Redmond was arrested in the fall of 2013. The ex-Deer Ridge Correctional Institution employee was not in court as defense lawyers and prosecutors interviewed prospective jury members until about 5 p.m.

Opening statements are planned Wednesday morning in the trial, scheduled to last seven days.

Yeakey faces one count of first-degree rape, four counts each of first-degree attempted rape and attempted sodomy, three counts each of using a child in a display of sexual conduct and encouraging child sex abuse, five counts of second-degree sexual abuse and six counts of third-degree sexual abuse.

Some of the charges involve alleged texting of the victim.

A defense attorney said Yeakey will not take the witness stand during his trial, asserting his constitutional right to remain silent.

Katie Higgins will be following the trial with updates on KTVZ.COM and at hashtag #YeakeyTrial on Twitter.