Mont. HS Coach Arrested for 'Sexting' Students
There is yet another case of "sexting," a topic that seems to come up in the news constantly these days.
A former track and field coach at Bozeman High School in Montana was arrested and charged with felony sexual abuse of children and obscenity. The coach allegedly sent nude pictures of himself to female students. The school learned of the incident on October 26th and launched an investigation which included school officers as well as the Bozeman Police Department. James Michael Evans has resigned from his position as track coach and assistant football coach at Bozeman.
According to the investigation, Evans communicated with a 15-year-old female student over his cell phone for two months, attempting to lure her into sexual conduct. Evans allegedly sent texts and pictures to the girl, which including requests for explicit sexual acts, as well as two other students.
"From a legal standpoint, these are very serious charges, and they should be ... With technology, the speed at which something like this can happen is a major concern," said Bozeman High superintendent Kirk Miller. "I'm pleased that the [student] involved felt safe to talk to school officials, and prevented something more disastrous."
According to the investigation, Evans sent a number of sexually explicit text messages including: "Maybe I can break some rules 😉 depends how good you are and whether you can keep a secret. Haha for now I wanna see how much you share over text," and "Awe. Thank you. You have such a nice body!!! Evans also allegedly told one of the females that he would like to lick ice cream off her body and then sent her a picture of his genitals as well as a photo of him receiving oral sex.
It seems like this should go without saying, but sexting with underage students is a serious situation. If convicted, Evans is likely to find himself on the sex offender registry and will find it extremely difficult to find reliable work.
Related Resources:
- Bozeman track coach accused of "sexting" athletes (Associated Press)
- Sex Offenders and Sex Offenses (FindLaw)
- What is "Sexting"? Nude or Risque Pics Sent by Teens Expose Them to Serious Legal and Social Consequences (FindLaw's Common Law)