$100K bail set for high school football coach accused of sexual relationship with student
Valley High School’s head football coach, who is facing child pornography and statutory sexual seduction charges, has been accused of carrying on a sexual relationship with a student, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Antwone Washington, 45, was arrested Tuesday on charges of kidnapping a minor, four counts of using or permitting a minor over 14 to produce pornography, three counts of statutory sexual seduction by a person over 21, and contacting a minor for sex as a person of authority, court records show.
Washington is listed as Valley High School’s head football coach on the school’s website. He also worked as a campus security officer, according to an arrest report.
According to the report, Las Vegas police found four different videos of Washington having sex with a student. The video was found on the student’s phone after police arrested another 46-year-old man on Sunday that the student said she had been having sex with, the report said.
Senior Judge David Gibson set bail a $100,000 bail for Washington during a court hearing on Wednesday in Henderson Justice Court.
Washington’s public defender, Tyler Gaston, said the case was originally in Las Vegas Justice Court, but judges in that court had recused themselves from hearing the case because they personally know Washington’s wife.
Chief Deputy District Attorney William Rowles argued Tuesday that Washington admitted to having a sexual relationship with the student when she was under 16. He said another person filmed Washington and the student having sex. In one video, Washington was urinating on the student, and in another she appeared to be bound and unconscious, Rowles said.
The arrest report indicates that the video shows the student was handcuffed and lying down “with her eyes closed.”
“When a person is put in that position that he is and violates that trust, I think that speaks volumes to his danger in our community,” Rowles said, arguing for the judge to grant a $500,000 bail.
Detectives also wrote in the report that Washington would contact the girl during school hours and “take her out to his vehicle for sex.”
Police worked to identify Washington through messages exchanged between him and the student. Washington admitted to the relationship in an interview with police, and said he met the student when he was trying to recruit her boyfriend to join the football team.
Washington said that he is married and has three other girlfriends, and he admitted to bringing the student to one of his girlfriend’s apartment to have sex with the girl.
Washington told police he believed the student is 16, but detectives informed him the girl was actually younger, the arrest report said. The student’s exact age was redacted from the report.
He also told police about a photo on his phone of a separate student bent over, with her underwear showing. Washington said he took the photo to show that student “that it was bad,” but then he never showed the picture to her, according to the report.
The student involved in the alleged relationship said she met Washington as he was acting as campus security, and that she began messaging him on Snapchat, the report said.
“Antwone said the relationship was never supposed to be sexual and he only wanted to be a mentor for” the student, according to the report.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Washington’s public defender argued that the prosecutor intentionally brought up “salacious” details of the case to push for a bail that would amount to a detention order. He said that Washington’s lack of criminal history and position in the community means he would be less of a flight risk, and should not be held against him for the purposes of a bail argument.
“The cameras are here, I get it,” Gaston said, adding that prosecutors pushed for a $500,000 bail because it’s a “high-profile case.”
Washington would be facing a life sentence if convicted, which Gaston said is due to the charges related to filming the sex acts. He appeared in court on Wednesday through a video call from the Clark County Detention Center.
The judge told Gaston that they would have to “agree to disagree,” and that he did factor Washington’s position in the community into his bail.
“I feel like there is clear evidence that he is a danger to the community,” the judge said.
Gibson ordered Washington to appear in court again on Dec. 16.
Ex-Palo Verde coach charged
In a separate case, a former Palo Verde High School teacher and coach has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault and lewdness charges.
Michael “Luke” Atwell, 72, is accused of sexually assaulting at least two victims: a boy when he was between 11 and 14 years old; a victim who is now a teenager but was a child at the time of the allegations.
Atwell previously taught history, criminal justice and social studies and coached boys cross country and girls softball at Palo Verde. State records indicate he also taught at Becker Middle School between 1999 and 2003.
Atwell previously taught history, criminal justice and social studies and coached boys cross country and girls softball at Palo Verde. State records indicate he also taught at Becker Middle School between 1999 and 2003.
Atwell was arrested at Palo Verde on Nov. 19. In a message to families that did not name Atwell nor disclose that he was accused of sexual assault, Principal Lisa Schumacher said a volunteer coach was arrested on suspicion of “inappropriate contact with a minor” and terminated.
A previous version of this story misstated William Rowles’ title.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.
