This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A former Provo High teacher charged last year with sexually abusing a female student was in court this week in connection with additional charges.
Donald Nelson Bills, 55, was arrested in January 2014 and charged in 4th District Court with six felony charges of object rape, sodomy and forcible sexual abuse.
In December, prosecutors filed an amended information, charging Bills with nine additional counts, including sex abuse, rape and sodomy charges, along with charges of tampering with a witness and obstructing justice, for a total of 15 felonies.
Bills — who also served as an athletic trainer at the school — could spend up to life in prison if convicted as charged.
On Monday, Bills was in court and waived his right to a preliminary hearing on the new charges. He is expected in court again on April 30.
According to a charging document, Bills met the alleged victim in 2012 at a softball game in which she was playing. During that 2012-2013 school year, she took physiology and sports medicine classes from Bills.
The two saw each other on daily basis, according to charges, and the teacher often talked to the student about school, sports, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his church mission. He also spoke of "his belief that the beauty of the human body, which signaled the role of a great creator," according to court records.
Bills and the alleged victim's relationship increased in seriousness, and in November 2013, he allegedly kissed the girl. A month later, the relationship had progressed to inappropriate touching and sexual contact, prosecutors allege.
In January 2014, the alleged victim's friend saw text messages on the girl's phone from the teacher talking about "kissing, hugging and how great the victim looked last night," according to charges.
The following day, Bills allegedly confessed the inappropriate relationship to the school principal, admitting that he had text messaged the girl, but denied any sexual contact.
He later admitted to police that the relationship was sexual, according to charges.
Bills also allegedly told police that he deleted all of his text messages with the girl, and told the alleged victim to do the same.
According to a school district spokesman, Bills is no longer employed as a teacher.
Twitter: @jm_miller