Posts Tagged ‘coach criminal record’

Sacramento Little League Coach Sentenced to Prison

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

Last week, a coach for a little league football team in Sacramento, California was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in state prison for intending to distribute cocaine.

Nakia “Keith” Owens was pulled over by police in October 2005 for not having license plates or visible registration on his car. When police checked the inside of the vehicle, they found a bag with marijuana, as well as a sock with crack cocaine in it. Both items were found inside an equipment bag marked as belonging to the Sacramento Raiders youth football team. In fact, Owens admitted to police that he was the little-league coach during the search of the car.

Owens was a passenger in the vehicle, but he was under what is referred to as “searchable probation.” He was also wanted for several vehicular violations.

Thankfully, the children involved with this little-league team weren’t outwardly harmed by their coach’s actions; however, a drug test and background check, including a motor vehicle records, would have been prudent.

Registered Sex Offender Allowed to Work with Little League

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

Registered sex offender Clayton Hoff was about to serve his fourth year as an assistant coach for a youth football team when a local news station inquired to the league’s organizers about Hoff’s previous criminal record.

Hoff has two previous convictions of sexual assault on a child: one from 1987 and one from 1995, for which he served nearly six years in a Colorado state prison. Both charges were felonies, requiring him to register as a sex offender.

The head coach of the youth football team in Bennett, CO, Brandon Lambrecht, stated that he was aware of Hoff’s criminal history. He allowed Hoff to continue to work as long as he notified the parents of team members. A fellow parent found him on the sex offender registry in 2005, which was his first year serving as an assistant coach for the team on which his son plays.

Hoff told the news station which found his criminal record that he was never told he could not work for the team because of his status as a sex offender and that he would have left the team if they had asked him to.

The team plays in the Elizabeth Parks and Recreation District league. They did not have any records of Hoff being a coach within their league. They issued the following statement, “We conduct CBI background checks on all coaches. All head coaches and assistant coaches are required to sign a form stipulating that they have no convictions for any offense of a sexual nature or any offense of any kind involving children. We’ll be following up with the teams and coaches from Bennett to determine what involvement Mr. Hoff may have with a team.”

Clayton Hoff can be found on Colorado’s Convicted Sex Offender site here.

Softball Coach Sends Inappropriate Text Messages to 15-year old Student

Monday, June 30th, 2008

Gregory Strittmatter, 49, was a former softball coach at the Indiana Area Senior High School. He was arrested on charges that he sent text messages of a sexual nature to a 15-year old female student and softball player.

Strittmatter allegedly began text messaging the student in May and as time progressed, the messages became more sexual in nature. According to the affidavit, some of the messages included:

“I’m lying here in bed can’t stop thinking of you. I need you.”

“I wish I could hold you now. I have to refrain from the ultimate passion with you but I don’t think I can.”

“I miss you. I need you. I wish you were here.”

The student’s father noticed the text messages at a softball game when his daughter handed him her phone. He then gave the phone to his son, who showed him one of the messages.

According to the arrest report, the girl’s father approached Strittmatter’s wife regarding the matter, but she begged him not to destroy their family. The father also allegedly spoke with Strittmatter who admitted to having a problem.

Strittmatter was officially charged with Unlawful Contact with a Minor, Corruption of Minors and Harrassment & Stalking. He was released on a $5,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on August 12, 2008.

He resigned his position as coach via email on June 13, 2008.

The Indiana Area School District Superintendent has declined to comment on the charges, stating that it is a police matter, but that the school district is cooperating with the investigation. It was also noted that Strittmatter was only an assistant varsity coach and not a teacher in their schools.