Coach accused of raping juvenile
CRIME & THE COURTS
NEWARK — A middle school football coach in the Lakewood Local School District in Hebron is facing a felony rape charge.
Gary Stratford, 36, of Thornville, had his initial appearance Monday in Licking County Common Pleas Court, where his bond was set at $250,000. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Oct. 5.
According to court documents, a juvenile reported to a Licking County sheriff’s office detective that Stratford gave her alcohol and requested she “sleep in bed with him,” then “digitally penetrated her vagina and engaged in intercourse with her.” She told the detective the incident took place at Stratford’s home over the weekend.
Court documents note that Stratford “admitted to giving the juvenile alcohol” and “digitally penetrating” her “but denied engaging in intercourse.”
The girl’s age and relationship to Stratford were not immediately available. An agenda for the Sept. 13 Lakewood school board listed Stratford’s hiring as an eighth-grade football coach among other supplemental contracts for the school year. The district referred questions Monday about Stratford’s hiring and current status to Superintendent Mary Kay Andrews, who could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
Stratford also was listed on the Lakewood Youth Baseball’s website as vice president of that group’s board of directors.