Oct 16, 2007 - Erin Baker, 25, a Port Clinton High School assistant girls basketball coach, was arrested and charged with having sexual contact with the a female student.
Prosecutors likely will present evidence against her to a grand jury next week.
Baker's arrest came after the girl told the school counselor earlier this month Baker had improper contact with her. The counselor immediately told a school-resource officer who investigated with Ottawa County Children's Services.
Baker had been an assistant coach at the school for four years.
INDICTED Oct 29 - Baker was indicted earlier this month on 55 charges of having sexual contact with a player during the past two years. The charges include 38 counts of sexual battery and 17 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
The girl, whose age was not listed in police reports, told a school official Oct. 10 that Baker had contact with her since she coached the girl in middle school, records show. School officials immediately reported the allegations to school resource officer Ralph Edmonds of Port Clinton police.Other coaches at the middle and high schools told Edmonds they noticed the pair were unusually close but did not see inappropriate behavior. One coach asked the girl about the relationship but the girl denied it. [TT - It doesn't mention whether any of the coaches at the middle or high schools reported the closeness to school authorities.]
The girl said Baker took a special interest in her at practices and eventually asked the girl for her Internet messaging screen name, according to Edmonds' report. She began messaging the girl, who said she was depressed and vulnerable at the time, the report shows.
Then Baker began buying her expensive gifts, such as basketball shoes, and taking her to dinner, the girl told Edmonds. Soon, Baker had the girl visit her apartment regularly, according to the report.
If the girl told Baker she was busy, Baker would become angry, the girl told Edmonds. The pair usually just watched TV at Baker's apartment, but one night Baker made sexual advances, the girl told Edmonds.
