A Jefferson man will be on trial in Cerro Gordo County as he faces sexual abuse charges against a minor.

According to court documents, a jury trial for 46-year-old James Exline is slated to begin today in Cerro Gordo County with jury selection. Exline is charged with felonies for second or subsequent offense for second degree sexual abuse and third degree sexual abuse. Exline is accused of sexually abusing his 12-year-old daughter, Paige Exline, from June 2016 to April 2017. Paige was one of the victims that died in a house fire in Guthrie Center on May 17, 2017. Assistant Greene County Attorney Thomas Laehn tells Raccoon Valley Radio that he will be representing Greene County as second chair, while the Iowa Attorney General’s office is the lead prosecutor.

“I think it’s important that even if we don’t have the trial here in Greene County that the people of Greene County are represented at the trial, because the crime happened here. And the people of Greene County have an interest in the outcome of the case.”

Since starting in the Greene County Attorney’s office in June of 2017, he points out that he thought no one in his graduating class from the University of Iowa, would be prosecuting a significant case like this so early in their career.

“It’s a good opportunity for me to not only build relationships with people in the (Iowa) Attorney General’s office, but to learn. So in the future if we have other significant cases of this nature, I’ve had experience with that type of case previously.”

Listen to Raccoon Valley Radio for updates on the trial.