A Mendocino College professor facing child sexual abuse charges is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing this week, when a judge will decide whether there is enough evidence for him to stand trial.
Jason Davis, a 54-year-old Ukiah resident and an English professor who has been placed on administrative leave at Mendocino College, has been charged with six felonies related to the abuse of a minor that allegedly started when the girl was 13.
Davis was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on Nov. 20 but was released from custody after paying bail in December. His bail, originally set at $1 million, was reduced to $285,000 by Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Keith Faulder at a December hearing.
On Wednesday, a preliminary hearing will be presided over by Faulder to determine whether Davis should face a trial. If the judge deems there is not enough evidence, he could dismiss the charges.
Deputy District Attorney Robert Waner, the prosecutor on the case, said at the December hearing that the Ukiah Police Department has found additional evidence.
“There will very likely be additional charges coming in this case. What needs to be at the forefront of the court’s mind is that this man engaged in a dating, sexual, cohabitating relationship with a 13-year-old,” Waner said at the December hearing. “We will show that he knew her age … A mistake of age will not be a defense in the case.”
The Mendocino County Public Defender’s Office will represent Davis in this case. Bay City News reached out to the Public Defender’s Office for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
The preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in Mendocino County Superior Court, 100 N. State St., Ukiah, and will be open to the public, but the judge could limit access during testimony.