Testimony begins in former principal's trial

A mentally disabled child testified Tuesday morning in Alleghany Superior Court about sexual abuse he received at the hands of a former Wilkes County elementary school principal.

The trial of Harry Talmadge Englebert, 55, of Moravian Falls began with jury selection Monday afternoon. Englebert is being tried on one count of first-degree sexual offense and another count of taking indecent liberties with a minor.

Englebert has also been charged with sexually abusing four other boys between September 1999 and January 2001.

Englebert appeared relaxed during jury selection, taking notes and occasionally laughing with his attorneys.

Englebert is the former principal of Wilkesboro Elementary School, where the boy in question was enrolled in the exceptional children's program. The boy was 12 at the time.

Englebert was a longtime educator in the Wilkes County School System, beginning his career in 1969 at North Wilkesboro Elementary School. Judge Douglas Albright of Forsyth County is presiding over the trial, with Assistant District Attorney Graham Green prosecuting for the state. Representing Englebert are attorneys Bert Greene, Gary Vannoy and Jay Vannoy of North Wilkesboro.

The abuse, according to state's witnesses, occurred during a sleepover at Englebert's vacation cabin in the Piney Creek community. The date of the offenses was Jan. 4, 2001, witnesses said.

The child, labeled within the school system as "trainably mentally disabled," was being mentored by Englebert through the Wilkes Communities in Schools program. Englebert left his position as a volunteer with Communities in Schools after being charged with the sex offenses in Alleghany and Wilkes counties.

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