A Portsmouth Junior High School football coach and substitute teacher has been arrested on serious charges involving a student.
The Portsmouth Police Department announced the arrest of Damion Quaza Coleman Jr., 33, of Kent Street, Portsmouth, who is accused of engaging in an inappropriate relationship with an underage female. Coleman has worked as a substitute teacher in local schools and most recently served as the football coach for Portsmouth Junior High.
Arrest and Charges
Following a lengthy investigation by Portsmouth Police detectives, a search warrant was executed at Coleman’s residence. Evidence was seized, and Coleman was arrested and booked into the Scioto County Jail. He is charged with:
Pandering Sexually Oriented Material Involving a Minor (Felony 4)
Sexual Battery Involving a Minor (Felony 4)
Coleman is being held pending arraignment in Portsmouth Municipal Court. The investigation was conducted with assistance from the Scioto County Prosecutor’s Office.
Authorities ask anyone with additional information about Coleman to contact Detective Stacey Croasmun at 740-354-1600.
A Troubling Pattern in the Region
While Coleman has no prior criminal record other than a speeding ticket, his arrest adds to a troubling string of local cases involving educators and sex crimes against minors:
Caroline Johnson, an intervention specialist in the Bloom-Vernon district, admitted to sexually abusing a student and served less than five months of a one-year prison sentence before being released last spring.
Russell “Rusty” Webb, a Lawrence County teacher and coach, was convicted of voyeurism and tampering with evidence after a student discovered he had secretly recorded them changing clothes in his office. He faces up to three years in prison.
Amy Adkin, a former Spanish teacher at Fairland High School in Proctorville, was sentenced to federal prison after admitting to sex with a 16-year-old student and selling Adderall.
Community Shock
The allegations against Coleman strike at the heart of community trust, as parents expect coaches and teachers to be role models for their children. Police say the case remains active and further details may emerge as the investigation continues.
