CLEVELAND — A former band director for the Solon School District accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl retracted his plea of not guilty and entered a guilty plea to gross sexual imposition Wednesday in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.
Edward Kline pleaded guilty to 11 counts of gross sexual imposition and one count of sexual imposition, with the court declining to prosecute seven other counts, according to court records.
The charges stem from an investigation that started in June. The alleged incident occurred in September 2010 at Solon Middle School. According to court records, Kline is accused of having "sexual contact" with a total of nine individuals ranging from the ages of 12 to 18 years old. The indictment specifies Kline as a "sexually violent predator."
According to the district, Kline resigned from Solon Schools after the 2017-18 school year, with an effective resignation date of Aug. 31, 2018. Kline was also employed by Hudson City School District from 1996 to 2004. The assaults happened between Aug. 1, 2003, and June 30, 2014, according to court records.
With the guilty plea, Kline will now be classified as a Tier I sex offender and must register annually for 15 years and his teaching license will be revoked.
Sentencing for Kline has been scheduled for Feb. 24 with the original bond of $50,000 continued until his court date.
RELATED: Former Solon School District band director accused of sexual contact with a 12-year-old
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