Curtis Van Dam
A former northwest Iowa teacher has pleaded guilty to having sexual contact with young boys.
The courtroom in Orange City was packed as a judge accepted 37-year-old Curtis Van Dam’s guilty pleas. Van Dam had taught for nine years at the Sioux Center Christian School. He was accused of having sexual contact with boys, most of who were under the age of 13.
He has pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree sexual abuse, five counts of third-degree sexual abuse and one count of sexual exploitation by a school employee. Van Dam will be sentenced January 11. He faces a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison on the most serious charge and a total of 80 years if the maximum sentence is applied on all seven charges.
Van Dam was arrested in October of 2017 and originally charged with more than 100 felonies.
(By Mark Buss, KSOU, Sioux Center)