Sam Seiple, a former coach at McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor unlawful sexual conduct with a minor as part of a plea deal with county prosecutors.
Seiple pleaded guilty on Monday, according to The Canton Repository. Seiple agreed to give up his coaching credentials permanently, and will have to register as a sex offender for the next 15 years. His sentence also included 180 days in jail, though the judge in the case suspended all but two of them.
Seiple admitted to having sexual contact with a 16-year-old whom he coached in 2014 and 2015. The girl was past the age of consent, but the sexual contact is still illegal based on Seiple’s role as a coach to the minor.
The 57-year-old had been coaching in the area since 1994. According to the Canton Repository, prosecutors were prepared to file a sexual battery charge if Seiple didn’t agree to plead guilty to the lesser charge that would result in little to no jail time. The victim herself testified about the trauma the experience caused her, and said she agreed with the terms of the plea deal. The girl said she wanted Seiple to no longer be able to coach, and also wanted the opportunity to tell her story.
“I have closure now,” she said, according to the Repository. You can read more of her testimony here.
‘I have closure now’ . Pre emptive closure would have been better .
Without going into the merits of the plea deal, while he was sentenced to probation and to serve only 2 days in jail, he has 178 additional days in jail hanging over his head if he violates any of the conditions of his probation. The maximum sentence for what he plead to is 180 days. As for how the plea agreement was reached, that would be a question for those involved in the case.
CREEP
Sexual misconduct 2 days….weed 10 years. Something just ain’t right. ?
Doesn’t surprise me at all. My child spent many years being coached by him. He always seemed a little “too close” to “some” of his female swimmers. Couldn’t understand why those parents didn’t feel uncomfortable with that instead of looking at him like he was a God. DISGUSTING! And for him to only get 2 days? Something’s definately wrong with the judicial system.
I’m not a parent and I actually swam for Sam and not only was he an amazing coach and mentor, but he was a respectful man who treated everyone on them team with the upmost courtesy. Never abused or treated any of us badly.
wrong!
2 days in jail? Something doesn’t seem right. How is that possible? I see the rest of the stuff but 2 days seems to be a really small number.
Time served was probably also a factor. But jail for sex offenders is beyond horrifying and judges know this. Better to go for a rehabilitative approach, as much as some people want to see swift and savage retribution.
Eye for an eye makes the whole word blind
I knew this guy when I was a high school swimmer. Always knew he was a skeeze-bag.
He was a great man and a great coach. Everyone liked and respected him.
I’m sure the girls he abused would beg to differ. And before you launch an assault. I was born and raised and swam in Canton, Ohio. I knew him when he got the job and the initial claims go back to the 90’s