Former coach charged with sexual battery
Former St. Vincent-st. Mary High School wrestling coach Justin “Harry” Lester has been charged with sexual battery over an alleged sexual relationship with a student, Akron police said Friday.
According to a news release from the Akron Police Department, during his tenure as coach, Lester, 35, of Uniontown, had a sexual relationship with a female student between April 1, 2018, and April 1, 2019. Police said the victim was 18 to 19 years old at the time of the relationship. Lester turned himself in at the Summit County jail around 9 p.m. Thursday, according to police. He was bailed out on $1,500 Friday.
Lester was placed on unpaid administrative leave after the school learned of allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a student last year, school President Thomas M. Carone announced in an email to parents in April. According to Carone’s April email, the student has since graduated from the high school.
In Akron Municipal Court records, the offense location is listed as 23 N. Walnut St. — the address for the school’s Cosgrove Center, used primarily for St. V-M sports and special events.
A message was left seeking comment with Lester’s attorney Friday afternoon.
Carone said in the April email the school was launching its own internal investigation to review the three years Lester was employed at the school.
Lester won four state wrestling titles at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy before graduating in 2001 and going on to wrestle at Northern Michigan University. A 2012 Olympian and two-time World bronze medalist, Lester was selected to the U.S. World team eight times and won six U.S. Open championships, plus a championship in the 2007 Pan American Games.