Former Dayton Band Director Jailed in Newton NEWTON, November 8, 2004 – Yesterday at 1:15 PM the Newton Police Department and the Newton County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant and an arrest warrant for James A. Pelloat (PELL-WAT) age 57 in connection with two charges of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a child.

Pelloat was band director at Newton High School and is a former band director in Dayton leaving Dayton ISD in 1988.

Pelloat is being held pending more charges and is under a suicide watch at the Newton County Correctional Center.

At 9:00 AM today, Justice of the Peace A. J. Satterwhite arraigned Mr. Pelloat on two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault of the Child setting bond at $500,000 on each charge.

It is thought Pelloat’s activity goes back 24 years.

According to KBTV Channel 4, Pelloat has worked in several Southeast Texas School Districts throughout his career. Pelloat left West Orange Stark ISD in 1992 to move to Austin Middle School in the Beaumont Independent School District. He retired from BISD in 2000 and went to work in the Port Arthur Independent School District. He left PAISD in May of the next year and has since worked at Newton High School.

Newton Police and Sheriff’s Deputies retrieved a list of about 30 other male students they say Pelloat sexually assaulted in several other districts since 1984 and are asking any other victims to come forward.

The city of Newton, TX is located a few miles east of Jasper, TX, in Newton County.

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