Kevin Jenkins

kevin@thespectrum.com

A former Red Rock Canyon School staff member accused of providing marijuana to a teen at the troubled youth facility pleaded guilty to related charges Wednesday and was granted probation.

Jerold Oloti Sua, 38, pleaded guilty in 5th District Court to two third-degree felony counts of drug distribution and child endangerment by exposing the child to drugs.

A misdemeanor count of possessing drug paraphernalia was dismissed.

Deputy County Attorney Jerry Jaeger told Judge G. Michael Westfall that the prosecution was recommending the private probation term for 36 months instead of a potential maximum of five years in prison on each charge.

There is no minimum length of time for the charges.

Westfall ordered Sua to undergo a life skills course and said any money he spends on a substance abuse evaluation will count toward a court fine up to $1,000.

He also said he would allow defense attorney Trevor Terry’s request for a new hearing in a year to consider reducing the charges to misdemeanors if Sua has no probation violations by then.

Employees at Red Rock Canyon reported the incident to police after finding the boy with marijuana Dec. 14. The responding officer stated the boy identified Sua, also written Su’a, as the person who provided him with the drug.

“I also learned that Jerold had assisted the juvenile in smoking the marijuana at the school,” the investigating St. George Police officer stated in a report filed with the court. “(Jerold) admitted that he had smoked marijuana while at work.”

Red Rock bills itself as a psychiatric residential treatment center for teens 12 to 18 years old who require “structure and treatment beyond that available in traditional outpatient clinics.”

Follow Kevin Jenkins, @SpectrumJenkins. Call him at 435-674-6253.

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