Former educator faces 30 yrs. in assault of student

A Butler County judge will announce the sentence next week for a former Naylor assistant principal who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a female student on campus in 2015.

John Franklin Mullins faces five to 30 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections when he appears before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett for sentencing at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The 56-year-old Gatewood man pleaded guilty in October to the unclassified felony of first-degree statutory sodomy.

Mullins pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a then 16-year-old female student on Oct. 23, 2015, in a supply closet at the school.

During a hearing Tuesday afternoon, Pritchett heard testimony from Mullins’ victim, as well as two other former students. The state previously used information from the former students to provide evidence of Mullins’ alleged propensity to commit sexual-related crimes against children.

Mullins’ attorney, Dan Moore, also called five witnesses to provide testimony regarding Mullins’ character. Mullins also addressed the court.

At the conclusion of the hearing, Pritchett thanked all who provided statements and indicated that was the information he needed to have.

The sentencing assessment report completed by Probation and Parole only “tells so much,” said Pritchett, who didn’t think it was appropriate for him to make an immediate decision as to Mullins’ sentence.

“I want to give careful consideration to all I’ve heard (and) make an informed decision,” Pritchett said.

Earlier in the hearing, Pritchett listened as Mullins’ victim read a prepared statement.

The witness spoke of never imagining something like what happened to her.

“I looked up to you; I trusted you,” she said. “You took all that away.”

What Mullins took away, the witness said, she would never get back.

“Everyone looked up to you; you were so respected by everyone,” she said.

The witness described her terror and not knowing what to do.

With her body shaking and voice cracking, the witness continued to read her statement.

The witness said she realized two things.

“I was a 16-year-old girl … and you were a teacher,” she said.

The witness further said she would have to live with what Mullins did to her for the rest of her life.

“Even after you were arrested, I was afraid you would come after me again; I couldn’t sleep,” she said.

As the witness continued to read, she said, she wasn’t sure she could trust people again or live her life “without what you did to me” effecting it.

The day of Mullins’ plea, “I thought it would help me” as “you took accountability for your actions,” but she went on to say, “I won’t ever get over it.”

The witness said she has never understood “why me. What did I do wrong for you to do this to me? … I just pray you get the maximum.”

Two of Mullins’ other former students also asked the court to sentence Mullins to the maximum.

One, now 25, said she was in the ninth grade when Mullins abused her.

In a small town like Naylor, “you never imagine something like this happening,” she said.

The other witness said she reported Mullins’ inappropriate actions against her, but she was not believed.

Lonnie Byrd of Doniphan, a defense witness, told the court he had known Mullins for 13 years.

Byrd described Mullins as honest and someone he has had nothing but “good dealings with.”

“Loyalty means a lot,” Byrd said. “You can’t find a more loyal friend. He’s been a great help to me,” including while “my wife was dying of cancer.

“Loyalty says a lot about someone’s character. I can’t say any more than that.”

Alex Hawks of Springfield said she has been friends with Mullins’ son for the past 10 years.

“I’ve known John for quite a while,” Hawks said. “I believe John Mullins to be an upstanding man.

“I’ve never seen someone grow from their mistakes like he has.”

Hawks went on to describe Mullins as a good human being.

Emily West, Robert Shonk and Pamela Nystrom all spoke of working with Mullins at the Doniphan Food Pantry

“John came to us because he wasn’t working” and needed something to do, said West, who cited Mullins’ military training.

If Mullins saw something that needed to be done or fixed, West said, he did it.

“He was helpful” and could “always be depended on,” West said.

In his testimony, Shonk described Mullins as a “good worker, a good man. … John has been a son to me.”

Nystrom said she and Mullins have taken trips to the SEMO Food Bank at Sikeston.

Mullins, she said, always was reliable.

“He’s a very upstanding person,” Nystrom said.

When Mullins addressed the court, he said, he didn’t want anyone to misunderstand when it came to blame.

“It’s my responsibility,” said Mullins, who indicated he could have “made better choices.”

“It’s my responsibility,” Mullins reiterated, adding he realizes “it’s not one person, not two people (but) a whole community that has been effected by my bad decisions.

“ … I apologize. I know that doesn’t do anything, but I do apologize. I take full responsibility … I was the adult. That was my job.”

Moore asked the court to consider the character testimony, as well as what Mullins said.

Although the punishment range is five to 30 years, not all cases are the same, said Moore, who asked the court to take into consideration his client is considered “low risk,” educated and has no criminal history.

“He took full responsibility,” said Moore, who asked the court also take that into consideration.

Moore said his client is not eligible for probation or a suspended imposition of his sentence.

After taking everything into consideration, Moore asked that his client be sentenced to the lower end of the penalty range.

Whatever sentence Mullins gets, he said, he will have to serve 85% of it.

As evidence by the character testimony, there are many who “think highly” of Mullins, even knowing what he has been accused of, Moore said.

Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver, who was appointed special prosecutor on the case, asked for Mullins to be sentenced to the maximum.

Mullins’ actions were a series of behavior over about a decade involving students 16 and under.

“This was not a short term, one time thing,” but “perpetrated over years with multiple victims in a small community,” Oliver said. “ … This is a crime that has effected the entire community and school district.

“Lives have been altered by this man.”