High School Coach Accused of Sexual Battery Gets Probation

A 21-year-old high school track coach originally charged with lewd and lascivious battery after he allegedly brought a 15-year-old student to his home and had sex with her has changed his plea.

The volunteer track coach entered a new plea of guilty to a lesser charge of child abuse on July 26 was sentenced by a judge to four years probation and one year of community control.

According to reports, in March, 2010, the man and his uncle were charged with having sex with teen girls. The men allegedly picked the two female up and supposedly told them they were going to skip school.

The man evidently told police they drove the girls around with them to do some errands and then went back to his home. The 15-year-old victim supposedly told police she had consensual sex with the man in the bedroom when the other girl and the man’s uncle left the home.

The motivations that drive people to plead guilty to criminal charges vary. Usually when a person pleads guilty to a lesser crime than what they were originally charged, a plea bargain has provided an opportunity to avoid harsher penalties in exchange for their plea. That is exactly what this man did. If the man had been convicted of the original charge of lewd and lascivious battery he could have faced up to 15 years in prison. The fact that the girl made a statement to police that the sex was indeed consensual undoubtedly played a hand in the outcome of the charges being reduced against the man. Every case is unique, but a Florida Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer can help you decide if you should accept a plea bargain or proceed with the charges at trial.

The best case scenario for anyone charged with a sex crime in Florida is obviously having the charges dismissed entirely or lowered significantly. In most cases there are several options for having charges reduced, but certain situations can make the process a bit more complicated. By contacting the Florida Sex Crimes Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton, we can evaluate the circumstances of your case to determine the possibility of a dismissal of charges.

It is important to note that your charges can be dismissed or dropped at any time after the arrest all the way up until conviction.

If you have been charged with a sex crime in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County or throughout the state of Florida, contact the Florida Sex Crimes Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton online or reach us toll-free at 866-608-5529.