High school coaches often possess unique authority over the kids that they coach. The kids are becoming sexually aware, while the coaches are viewed as possessors of absolute authority. Unfortunately, these relationships provide many opportunities for sexual abuse, as was demonstrated again by the arrest of a track coach at a suburban Indianapolis high school.
In January, a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office to a social media account owned by an assistant track coach at Attica High School. According to a press release from the sheriff, deputies used the results of this surveillance to obtain a search warrant for the suspect’s social media accounts. Deputies allege that they found more than 16,000 images and 500 video files, most of which contained child pornography.
The sheriff’s office next obtained a warrant for the suspect’s home, and that warrant was executed on June 29, 2018. The officers who executed the warrant allege that they found 451 videos and 27,000 images containing child pornography on the suspect’s cell phone. The suspect was arrested later in the day, and he is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s service. The suspect has been charged with sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
While the defendant in this case is entitled to the presumption of innocence accorded to all criminal defendants, he has been charged with crimes that leave an indelible stain on his reputation regardless of the final outcome. For this reason, persons charged with sex crimes, especially those that involve children, may obtain particular benefit from a consultation with an attorney experienced in defending sex crimes. A knowledgeable attorney will know how to deal with the media and will be able to provide a useful analysis of the law and the evidence that apply to the case. Depending upon the circumstances of the case, a lawyer may be able to either negotiate a favorable plea bargain or defend the charges at trial.