Posted at: 07/17/2009 2:20 PM

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Teacher Accused of Sexual Contact With Students

(ABC 6 NEWS) – A Stewartville teacher is accused of having sexual contact with at least two of his third grade students.

63-year-old Francis Skinness of Austin faces two felony counts of criminal sexual conduct.

According to court documents, the principal of Bonner Elementary School told detectives that four of Skinness' students had come to him complaining that Skinness touched them under their shirts, rubbed his genitals on their backs and touched their ears with his mouth.

"We have a lot of criminal sexual contact and penetration cases pending, but it's rare that it involves any sort of a teacher or person in a position of authority like this," says Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem.

Skinness denied the allegations, saying he doesn't remember committing the acts, and if he did, he did so unintentionally.

His first court appearance is scheduled for the end of August.