A former New York state high school athletic trainer who was charged with rape is facing new charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Austin Pratt, who worked with the Geneseo Central School District, faced rape and criminal sex act charges in January in connection with an alleged incident that took place on New Year’s Eve. According to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Pratt faces new charges of enticement of a minor and production of child pornography connected to the same victim.
On Jan. 12, the alleged victim’s parents told police that they found “a large amount of text messages on their daughter’s phone from her high school athletic trainer.” In an interview with police on that same day, Pratt admitted to sexual activity with the 15-year-old.
The victim told police that beginning in November 2018, Pratt began sending her text messages after he put his number into her phone.
“Simple texts regarding an injury the victim suffered led to nude photographs being exchanged between the two using Instagram,” Assistant U.S. attorney Melissa Marangola said in a release.
Over the ensuing months, the two exchanged a number of text messages that grew increasingly explicit. After serving a search warrant on his social media accounts, police identified a number of explicit images that Pratt had sent to the victim.
Pratt had been employed by F.F. Thompson Health Systems Inc., and worked in the district as an athletic trainer according to a statement by Geneseo schools superintendent Tim Hayes. Upon learning of his arrest, the health system immediately fired him.
Other school districts in the area confirmed that Pratt had worked with their students, but according to a health system statement it is not believed that Pratt was involved with other instances of criminal or improper behavior.
