Jury finds former Vienna dance teacher guilty of several sex crimes against a minor

Katilyn Wilkes

The trial of the 20 year old former dance instructor from Vienna started Monday and ended late Thursday.
It took the jury two days to deliberate and reach verdicts on many of the counts Wilkes faced.

Those included five counts of gross sexual imposition - two stand-alone counts and three included as lesser offenses among 12 counts of rape.

The jury was undecided on the six rape counts, with prosecutors telling 21 News that they will weigh out the decision of whether or not to re-charge her with those.

"The difference between rape and the lesser included offense of gross sexual imposition is sexual conduct versus sexual contact," explained Trumbull County assistant prosecutor Diane Barber.

The charges, brought in a secret indictment last year, stem from incidents that took place between December of 2021 and February of 2022 where Wilkes had sexual contact with a 12-year-old student at a local dance studio.

Prosecutors say Wilkes admitted to this sexual conduct stating that she "knew it was wrong."

"We're always satisfied when our victims are believed, even if the defendants are only convicted of lesser included offenses," said Barber.

Wilkes and the victim were once students together and spent time together outside of practice. Once she turned 18, Wilkes became an instructor at the studio for the victim's class.

There is no scheduled sentencing date at this time.

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