Raja Jabbour, the former Albemarle High junior varsity girls’ soccer coach charged with possession of child pornography, has remained in jail pending a bond hearing set for Tuesday, June 27. At an earlier U.S. district court hearing, Judge B. Waugh Crigler ruled that Jabbour should be released under a conditional $50,000 bond, but federal prosecutors filed an appeal full of lurid allegations that has kept him behind bars.
Originally, Jabbour’s court trial was scheduled to begin this week, but his new lawyers filed a successful motion to push back the case, presumably until the fall. Jabbour hired John Zwerling as new head counsel, replacing Rhonda Quagliana. Local lawyer Dana Slater is also assisting the defense. Neither defense attorney had comments about the case.
Zwerling is no stranger to high-profile Charlottesville criminal cases: He represented former UVA student Andrew Alston during his trial for killing Walker Sisk. Zwerling’s Alexandria-based firm has also represented clients who garnered national attention, including Lorena Bobbitt and “Virginia jihad network” member Seifullah Chapman.
Though prosecutors wrote in a previous brief that they “anticipate seeking various other child sexual exploitation charges,” no additional charges have yet been filed.
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