FAYETTEVILLE — A man accused of impersonating a Fayetteville High School track coach has admitted to molesting a 15-year old girl.
Jacob Kenneth Laxton, 25, of Fayetteville pleaded guilty on Tuesday to second-degree sexual assault and sexual indecency with a child.
He was sentenced to 20 years — 10 years in the Department of Correction and 10 years suspended. He was also ordered to complete a sex offender treatment program.
Laxton was accused of exposing himself to a 15-year-old girl and grabbing her and fondling her breasts through her clothes, said Washington County Deputy Prosecutor Denis Dean.
The girl told Fayetteville police she met Laxton at church and discussed her interest in running track. Laxton represented himself as a Fayetteville High School coach and offered to train the girl free of charge, according to the police report.
The girl’s parents agreed and took her to Laxton’s house July 24 for her first training session, according to the report.
Laxton and the teen were running southbound on the Scull Creek Trail when he suggested they check out a secondary, dirt trail, which led off the main trail at the half-mile marker, according to the report.
Laxton admitted to misrepresenting himself as a coach for the school, according to the report.
Fayetteville School District spokesman Alan Wilbourn confirmed Laxton is not associated with school district.
“It’s an extremely unfortunate situation that this young lady had to be in,” he said. “Our coaches are not personal trainers on the side.”
Wilbourn encouraged parents and students to contact the school district when in doubt about a school official’s position.
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