Illinois coach sentenced for inappropriate relationship

 Posted on January 17, 2020 in Sex Offenses

A 23-year-old high school coach and former athlete was sentenced to serve 90 days in jail after she entered a guilty plea to engaging in criminal sexual abuse of someone who was more than five years younger than her. The woman will serve a probationary sentence until Dec. 20, 2021.

The coach was arrested and charged with a class 1 felony in August 2019. She worked at Washington Community High School in Tazewell County, Illinois, as a freshman girls' basketball and volleyball coach.

The coach is required to register as a sex offender. During her probation, she will also be required to perform community service hours. News sources do not state how many hours of community service she will have to perform. The coach reportedly played college basketball at Eureka College and Illinois Central College.

People who are charged with sex offenses might want to retain experienced criminal defense lawyers as soon as possible. Sex offense convictions can permanently alter the course of people's lives. After the people have discharged their sentences, they might still have to continue registering as sex offenders. They might also struggle to find jobs and housing, and they may have difficulty obtaining credit and loans. An experienced criminal defense lawyer might identify problems with the state's case against the client and work hard to build the strongest possible defense strategy. In some cases, an attorney might secure a favorable plea agreement if the evidence appears to be strong.

Source: Central Illinois Proud, " Former coach, athlete sentenced to 90 days in jail after ‘inappropriate relationship with teen'", Matt Sheehan, Jan. 4, 2020