Copyright 2014 The Columbus Dispatch
All Rights Reserved
The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio)
A Marion County high-school cross-country coach has been charged with having sex with a teenage boy.
Martina Stanley, 35, who coaches at Elgin High School, was charged with sexual battery, a third-degree felony. Stanley appeared in court in Marion County yesterday; a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Thursday.
Prosecutor Brent Yager said Elgin Local Schools officials contacted the sheriff's office after learning that Stanley might have behaved inappropriately. Yager said the school acted on rumors that Stanley had sexual encounters with the boy, who is 17. He said detectives are searching her phone because school officials reported that she might have sent nude photos to the teenager.
Yager said additional charges could be filed against Stanley if detectives find evidence that she sent photos to the boy. He said he hoped to take the case before a grand jury on Wednesday.
Stanley has been suspended without pay from the district.
District officials said in a statement that Stanley went voluntarily with deputies to be questioned on Thursday afternoon. They said in the statement that the district would not comment further about the case.
Superintendent Bruce Gast did not return a call yesterday.
Stanley, of Lewis Center, is the head cross-country and track coach at Elgin. The teams are co-ed.
She was being held at the Multi-County Correctional Center in Marion yesterday. Bond was set at $20,000.
@larenschield
Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy
