Coach appears in court following arrest

Man accused of sending student nude photos

The head varsity boys soccer coach at a Pembroke Pines high school appeared in court Saturday following his arrest for allegedly sending suggestive texts and nude photos to a female student.

Owen Cleveland Gayle, 38, sent the texts over the app WhatsApp to a girl at S omerset Academy, a charter school, who volunteered with the boys’ soccer team, the Pembroke Pines police said. He was charged with transmission of harmful material to a minor, solicitation, unlawful use of a computer and promoting sexual performance of a child.

At his first court appearance Saturday, Gayle was ordered held on $125,000 bond. Judge John Fry also ordered Gayle to have no contact with minors and to have no electronic devices in his home that can access the internet or send any messages.

Gayle had been booked into the Broward County Jail shortly after 11 p.m. Friday on five charges including promoting the sexual performance of a child, records show.

When the girl reported the texts to another coach, the police were called and Pembroke Pines police de- tective Michael Silver took over the account to send texts back to Gayle. That’s when Gayle allegedly responded with nude photos and requested the female student send nudes of her own.

Police then arrested Gayle and read him his rights, after which he admitted to the charges, according to a police report.