A former Alleghany County employee who was fired in December has been indicted on 36 illegal computer-use charges.

Jeanne Jackson, who had been the county's accounts coordinator, turned herself in to the Alleghany County Sheriff's Office on Friday and was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond, according to sheriff's deputies. An arraignment is set for Aug. 2 and the trial will probably be set for October, court officials said.

An Alleghany County grand jury that met Tuesday handed down the indictments, charging Jackson with one felony computer fraud charge and 35 misdemeanor charges that include altering computer data, computer trespassing, copying data and invasion of privacy.

Jackson is accused of examining employment, salary, credit and other personal records of county employees, including County Administrator Tammy Stephenson, Deputy County Administrator Rick Hall and Safety Coordinator Ryan Muterspaugh.

The computer crimes unit in the state attorney general's office led the investigation that looked into allegations dating back to June 2003.

Information on the investigation is scarce.

"The specific details of this case will come out during the trial," said Mike Aulgur, spokesman for the attorney general's office.

Aulgur said he couldn't release information on who requested the investigation or who was interviewed. Sheriff Dale Muterspaugh and Commonwealth's Attorney Ed Stein said Friday they weren't involved in the investigation that led to the indictments.

Alleghany County Board of Supervisors vice chairman, Sam Wilhelm, and at least one other board member were questioned by investigators, Wilhelm said.

Aulgur also said he couldn't comment on whether additional charges would be filed in the case.

Jackson had worked in the county's general accounting office more than 16 years when she was fired in December over an incident that allegedly occurred earlier.

In June, a three-member grievance committee upheld Jackson's dismissal.

She nor her attorney was available for comment Friday.

"It's a mess. Yes, I'm upset," her husband, Henry Jackson, said in a telephone interview. He said he and his wife had been advised by legal counsel not to comment.

Stephenson also said she could not comment on the on-going investigation involving Jackson.

"In my opinion, this girl has committed nothing," Wilhelm said Friday. He sat through Jackson's June 15 grievance hearing, he said.

Wilhelm, who admits to being an adversary of the county administrator, said the whole incident came about because Jackson "accidentally hit into files on employees" and discovered improprieties by another employee. She reported her findings to Stephenson, who didn't respond but later accused Jackson of violating county computer-use policy, Wilhelm said.

The three-member grievance committee upheld the county's claim by 2-to-1, according to Ron Brown.

Jackson selected Brown, president of Steelworkers Local 20675 at MeadWestvaco, for the committee. Brown said the county originally accused Jackson of "hacking into Web sites prohibited to her" and said she "set up" another high-ranking county official for viewing "pages of smut."

During the hearing, however, the county admitted guilt on the part of the other employee, Brown said, but contended that Jackson "went to Web pages she had no authority to use."

Brown said Stephenson took three months to act on the claim against Jackson.

Jackson's firing has added to the turmoil on the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors in the past year. More than 1,500 residents have signed petitions calling for the dismissal of Stephenson, the county administrator, Wilhelm said.

Two board members, including the chairman, have resigned this year, although they didn't mention Jackson's firings in their resignations.

The charges against Jackson also come on the heels of another incident involving Stephenson and the suspension of a county employee who shared a conversation with a county supervisor while walking under an umbrella and failed to report the conversation.

In October 2003 Stephenson defended the suspension, saying the county had a long-standing, unwritten policy that required employees to report conversations with supervisors to the county administrator.

Stephenson accused that employee of insubordination after the employee refused to tell her what the conversation was about and stomped out of her office.

The board has since voted out the policy.

Staff writer Mike Allen

contributed to this report.