The Antelope Valley Times

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Palmdale High basketball coach pleads to sexual relationship with student player

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LANCASTER — A 38-year-old man who coached the girls’ varsity basketball team at Palmdale High School has pleaded no contest to having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student player, authorities announced.

Marcus Williams pleaded no contest Tuesday to seven felony sex crimes, including contact with minor for sexual offense, meeting a minor for lewd purposes, possession of child or youth pornography, lewd act upon a child, oral copulation of a person under 16 and two felony counts of activity involving material depicting sexual conduct, according to Deputy District Attorney Jon Hatami.

A no contest plea has the same legal effect as a guilty plea.

Williams will face four years and eight months in state prison at a sentencing hearing scheduled for March 16 at the Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster, the prosecutor said.

Additionally, Williams will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and will be served with a 10-year protective order prohibiting him from having contact with the victim.

“Due to the fact that the victim was non-desirous of prosecution and non-cooperative, the District Attorney’s Office is very pleased that, at arraignment, the defendant pled to seven felonies, will serve time in state prison, and will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life,” Hatami stated. “The defendant took advantage of a 15-year-old girl and he violated the trust of the Palmdale community and Palmdale High School. The community and Palmdale High School student players are a little safer now that the defendant will be held responsible for his actions.”

On Jan. 7, Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies discovered Williams and the victim in a vehicle parked on the side of the street, the prosecutor said. Numerous naked and explicit photographs and videos of the victim were discovered in Williams’ cell phone as well as sexual conversations with the teenage victim via text messaging and social media, the prosecutor added.

Williams was originally charged with 15 felony counts, and the complaint alleged that the sex crimes took place on Jan. 7 and between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31.

In exchange for his no contest plea, the remaining eight felony counts against Williams are expected to be dismissed at sentencing on March 16.

Williams previously served as an assistant girls’ varsity basketball coach at Paraclete High School in 2012 before coaching the girls’ varsity basketball team at Palmdale High School.

Paraclete officials did not return calls for comment on Marcus Williams. The Antelope Valley Union High School District also did not return calls about Marcus Williams’ tenure at Palmdale High School.

In a statement to NBC Los Angeles, the school district said it was “addressing it as a personnel matter in accordance with state law and district policy.”

Williams has been jailed since his Jan. 8 arrest, with bail set at $500,000.

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Previous related story: High school basketball coach charged with multiple sex crimes

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Filed Under: Crime/ Safety

54 comments for "Palmdale High basketball coach pleads to sexual relationship with student player"

  1. Hes my neighbor and I am still in shock…been wondering where he’s been this whole time. He has a beautiful wife and babygirl!!! I am in total shock about this whole thing. Makes me sick

  2. This guy certainly crossed a line. This conduct is completely inappropriate. He deserves to be punished. But lets get a grip, here – inappropriate is all it is. Years of prison and, worst of all, a lifetime as a registered s3x offender is completely disproportionate to the offense. For him as well as his entire family, including any children he has or may have. Especially in light of the fact that the student does not see herself as a victim, as much as society insists that she is damaged for the rest of her life.

    Fire him, yank his teaching credential and move on. This tax payer does NOT condone using my tax dollars to incarcerate him for years and monitor him for the rest of his life.

    • No that’s crap, I know of a guy (no name) who was being charged for allegedly just touching a 17 year old when there was no proof, on top of that the 17 year old admitted to lying about it and said it never happened. The judge refused to listen to it and gave him DOUBLE the time this guy is getting, tell me were any of this is right.

      • So because it is your opinion that your friend got a raw deal you support completely ruining this guy’s life for a non-forcible relationship with a person who does not see themselves as a victim?

        • HE ruined his life, no one else….The reason for the harsh punishment is the violation of trust by a person in a position of authority. Parents and students expect a higher level of professionalism and they intrust their kids to not be used and abused. The fact that a immature young girl doesn’t see herself as a victim is meaningless here. Not very long ago another teacher violated the same trust and the girl killer herself. Special circumstances require special judgements.

        • his life shouldn’t be ruined . he is a great coach and person.
          she may not see her self as a victim because he never to advantage of her

    • Will and all others who defend him with a slap on the wrist.my question is would it be ok for a 15,14,13,12yo who it was consensual with?what age do you say,that he should know better?

      • Good question.

        In general, how about as soon as person is old enough to form criminal intent they are old enough to willingly engage in willing sexual conduct. That would be what, in California – 10? At the very least, as soon as a person is old enough to be prosecuted and sentenced as an adult a person is old enough to willingly engage in sexual conduct. That would be what in California – 14?

        Either that, or raise the age of criminal culpability. At least the age of criminal prosecution as an adult. If this student had killed the teacher right after an encounter for his wallet she would be a child victim and an adult murder defendant.

        You can’t have it both ways. Wait, yes, the State of California can.

        As far as this case is concerned, a relationship within a setting of authority is always inappropriate. I suppose to put some teeth into it it must be a criminal offense. Not a problem.

        But, in light of the above, it should be evaluated on a case by case basis, depending on the players involved. Making this a strict liability offense is absurd. The punishment this teacher faces is absurd. That my tax dollars are going to be spent on his incarceration and life-long monitoring is a complete waste.

          • Please point out the reality you are checking to support this ridiculous claim.

            Nevermind, We’ve all seen that the closest you come to reality is typing your screen name.

        • So 14 year olds and 50 year old men is okay and should be legal? That would be what 8th graders? Middle school girls getting picked up by their 50 year old sugar daddy? That’s sick man.

        • And 10 year olds? That’s twisted. This whole logic that a 14 year old can be tried as an adult for murder therefore that should be the age of consent as an adult is pointless. The two things have nothing to do with one another.

    • The prefrontal cortex of a teenager’s brain is not fully developed until they are in their early twenties. This is the part of the brain that weighs outcomes/consequences, forms judgements, and controls impulses and emotions. They are immature and therefore need guidance and protection from the adults In their life. those of you defending his actions are comparing them like they are both consensual adults and they were not. Teenagers are lead by their hormones and impulses and don’t always make the best decisions. You can’t compare his decision to enter into this “relationship” with hers. It’s apples and oranges. Teenagers are super impressionable. She trusted him because he was in a position of authority. He’s good looking and charming so of course she fel for him. What teenage girl hasn’t had a crush on one of her teachers or coaches? But no matter what he has a wife and child. So he also committed adultry and slept with a girl that was young enough to be his own child. No wonder society is going to crap when everyone is always so quick to defend the criminal offender. There are laws for a reason. They are considered minors for a reason, because they are not yet matured.

      • It is funny how the teenaged brain is only underdeveloped when a child (a person up to 17 years and 364 days of age, mind you) decides to engage in s e x ual conduct. They are minors, after all. Who, at 16 can legally get married with parental consent. Last I heard there were requirements to consummate a marriage. Oh yes, it is s e x. So a minor, err, child, has an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex when they (she, whom are we kidding here?) wants to have a fling but they have all the mature decision making in the world do utter before a judge “until death do us part” and then have s e x. So bizarre.

        It is a crime to engage in s e x with a 17 year old child because such child has an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex, but at 17 the same 17 year old can join the military. Because killing people is a lot easier for a child than having s e x.

        A few months ago the California Supreme Court held that a ten (10) year old kid was mature enough to waive his Miranda Rights when questioned by Police without his parents present. Hundreds of kids that age are charged with felonies each year. The underdeveloped prefrontal cortex comes up every time a teenager has willing s e x, but the Supreme Court never read any of these comments?

        When a 14 year old kid is pressured, manipulated and threatened by his homies and led by his impulses to engage in criminal conduct, that prefrontal cortex is not only fully developed, it is also capable of making adult like decisions that result in adult consequences. And for the inability to withstand others’ manipulations and pressures, possibly threats, that kid is looking at a gang enhancement, sending him to adult prison for life.

        Why does one child get a complete and utter pass, and the other is held fully responsible? Are their prefrontal cortexes truly progressing at such different rates?

        I’m not defending this teacher, he crossed a line, but I am condemning society’s and the criminal justice system’s reaction to these offenses when holding same age kids fully responsible for every single thing they do. Prefrontal Cortex or not.

  3. The young woman was probably flattered and FELT like a grown woman but trust me.. she is scarred! He was in a position to lift this child’s self esteem by showing her she was worth more than that. Instead he placed her value in terms if sex. I realize he did a dumb thing and unfortunately his life is ruined as well.. BUT he is 38.. he knows better. He was wrong and he broke the law. He was the adult and should have behaved as one. This young lady was a consenting CHILD, she is not able to make responsible adult decisions yet. If she was the instigator, he had a responsibility to protect her!! and though she feels a sense of responsibility because she obviously said yes, she will carry that guilt with her! And that’s sad too. Again his fault that she will carry that burden.

    • Why would I trust you that you know anything about this young woman being scarred? Unless you are a parent or a therapist – in which case your public comment on this matter would be highly unlikely or completely unethical? How do you know this person is scarred? Why do you insist on labeling this person thusly?

      This conduct is inappropriate, no doubt. Having said this, here a thought… I am convinced that in many of these cases – involving voluntary conduct by a mature teenager absent any force – that the main psychological damage is done by the media attention, the crushing judgment by family, peers, the general public (who for some reason insist on life-long damage),…

      …as well as the knowledge that their voluntary and active participation in conduct, at an age where they could easily be treated as an adult by the system, has, in effect, ruined the life of a person (that they liked), as well as his family’s.

      That is a burden I would not wish on my worst enemy.

      • lmao maybe cause i know they girl closely .. you have so much to say but still no one really knows from her point or his.

  4. This guy certainly crossed a line. This conduct is completely inappropriate. He deserves to be punished. But lets get a grip, here – inappropriate is all it is. Years of prison and, worst of all, a lifetime as a registered sex offender is completely disproportionate to the offense. For him as well as his entire family, including any children he has or may have. Especially in light of the fact that the student does not see herself as a victim, as much as society insists that she is damaged for the rest of her life.

    Fire him, yank his teaching credential and move on. This tax payer does NOT condone using my tax dollars to incarcerate him for years and monitor him for the rest of his life.

  5. Regardless of the matter of her. He knows how old he is and he also knows how old she is. A lot of these girls seek attention and they seek from older men. Had it been my daughter I would have [removed] her and him up period. Your 38 and she’s 15. I don’t feel sorry for him. He knows better period

    • Yes, he crossed a line and yes, he should have known better. But is this a reason to obliterate his life? And cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars?

    • he broke the law and knew he was breaking it – but when I was 16 I fooled around with a 14 year old girl in the back of my car, and she just wanted to grow up so fast.. she so wanted to be 16 or 18 and have boyfriends and dates and be a grown up.. and girls dont become magically attractive at 18, a 15 year old can be attractive too, so I can understand how a guy can be attracted to a 15 year old, especially one who is dressing sexy… but should he go to prison? if he held her down and raped her? yes.. if its consensual? no.. sorry thats just how I feel…

  6. When dod it become ok for grown men to take someones child in their car and have sex with them on school campus… Children need limits… Adults inforce them… As a taxpaying citizen i am applaud tgat grown taxpayers are ok with paying a man to have sex woth a 15 year old at work… He was a coach people… He was suppose to be mentoring her not bending a child over and digging in your vagina like she a hooker.. Anyone who says that they are ok with that has deep child molesting tendencies and you need to be locked up now before your urges hurt my lil girl..

  7. I know this opinion will be unpopular on this pro sex offender website, but if he is sexually attracted to 15 year olds to the point that he is going to enter into a relationship and film his exploits, then why coach and involve himself with these minors? Stop the victim blaming. The adult has to take responsibility and the minor is allowed to act like an out of control hormonal mess because that’s what teenagers are. Adults know far more than a 15 year old and need to act responsibly.

  8. this is a travesty of justice – Is her life ruined? no. Will she cry herself to sleep every night? no. She had consensual sex and now he is treated like a child molester and that is SOO WRONG!!!! look up “age of consent” on google – Its not 18 in every country, heck its 14 in some countries…

    • The problem with it is that you dont have kids if you did you know that he mind controlled her and took advantage of a baby… But prople like you [removed] babies so you like sick [removed] like thus… You are a child molesters cheerleader

      • HE did not MIND control her. IK that! THEY obviously had a relationship .. yes hes grown. we;ll [removed] he fell for a 15 yr old. [removed] happens

      • lol i have a kid n i know the girl she is very responsible n knows what she want he didnt mind control her lmao you dont know what they felt for each other!

    • The law is the law. It is just like any other crime where somebody is premeditated in their action and breaks the law. He took advantage of his position and at the same time, what does that say about a 38 year old man who is only capable of relationships with minors? This emotional 15 year old probably believes she loves the guy and he was just using her for underage sex.

      It also appears she was 14 when all this started and there may be a pattern with this guy.

      Once again the gutter trash in the valley with low IQ mindsets and values don’t see the problem and make excuses for this predator.

      • Ya I agree, them low IQ people who can’t have a conversation without resorting to personal attacks.. Don’t ya just hate them? :) I am not saying this guy does not deserve to be punished, but I think prison should be for violent offenders, not this guy.

      • Mature response.

        Yes, he is, but so is any person who has a relationship beyond hand holding with any person under 18 years of age. That would make most of our high school students criminals. Even if they, themselves, are minors. Unless you subscribe to the fact that it does not count unless you get caught.

    • They had a relationship. doesnt mean it had to be 100% sexual
      no one knows how they really felt about each other
      get over it

  11. He did the same thing at Paraclete. The school hid it in 2012. Ask Paraclete, they know. All of the athletes did.

  12. He was very very wrong for what he did but these teenagers these days r too damn grown and the parents r not taking the time to teach them anything like always wanted to be in a mans face.

  13. I’m pretty sure I know who the 15 year old girl was and she was asking for it. Not only do girls my age want it. They trade and make gestures and hope they won’t get what they deserve. They act like its a big game but don’t understand men don’t care about them. They want one thing and will say anything to get it.

    • maybe thats not all they did… just because hes grown they are bringing sex in to it.. it dosent matter.. no one knows what they had.. its between them.

  14. What he did was wrong and of course, against the law.. but teenage girls these days are explicit and unbelievably seductive. I don’t doubt for a second that she made herself open and available to him. Consensual or not, I understand it’s the law. So sad that a life is ruined.

    • I understand nothing about this. If this girl does not consider herself to be a victim, why does that State insist? And why does this sort of conduct have to result in a ruined life – and make no mistake about it, his life is shot. More so than if he had beat the same student to within an inch of her life.

      In whose best interest is any of this?

  15. “The defendant took advantage of a 15-year-old girl” – apparently the 15 year old girl did not think so. Silly ‘child’…. how dare she have an opinion.

    • Correct silly child… Key word here chuld… Meaning it hasnot Grown up meaning its frontal lope is still opened

      • Be sure and mention that opened ‘frontal lope’ next time a 14 year old is prosecuted as an adult or an 11 year old waives his Miranda rights…

    • even though no one knows what they really had together, they continue to make opinions. maybe they had a relationship for a pretty long time. u cant help who you fall in love with. [removed] happens. my uncle was 50 n he was an attractive man …while my aunt was 22. they fell in love. age has nothing to do with it. She dose have a right for an opinion. its her situation an she knows him. just because they where accused of having sex doesnt mean that he used her for sex. people express there love sometimes sexually into a relationship that gets deep