Girls Basketball Coach Accused Of Sex Assault, Abuse

CHARLESTON, IL — A man who coached girls basketball teams for years has been charged with more than a dozen counts of sexual assault and abuse. Barry Wolfe, 53, of Martinsville, is a coach with the Central Illinois Storm, an affiliate of the American Athletic Union.

Wolfe was arrested Oct. 26 and now faces 42 counts of sex offenses dating back to February 2014 involving multiple girls between the ages of 14 and 16 years old, according to Coles County court records.

Mattoon police began investigating Wolfe the day before his arrest after the victim, who police said he had coached, reported the abuse to the department.

The investigation into Wolfe found "a pattern of harassment and threats" against players for the Storm, prosecutors argued in a motion to add restrictions to the terms of his $5 million bond.

Wolfe helped develop the program's teams for girls ages 17 and under, the Herald & Review reports. He was listed as coach for the Central Illinois Storm Elite private travelling team until his arrest.

And the investigation into his conduct as coach has only scratched the surface, local police told WCCU. While, Coles County prosecutors said some of the alleged offenses involve sexual conduct and other involved allegations of Wolfe abusing his authority, WXEF reported.

In a motion filed Wednesday in Coles County Court and posted by Edgar County Watchdogs, prosecutors asked that Wolfe be restricted from having any contact with any Storm team members or their families and be placed under house arrest with GPS monitoring if he is released on bond.

Of the 42 felony sex offenses with which Wolfe has been charged, 30 are aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a class 1 felony, and the other 12 are criminal sexual assault, a class 2 felony. He faces a maximum sentence of 390 years in state prison and more than $1 million in fines if convicted on all counts he presently faces.

_{Top photo: Barry S. Wolfe booking photograph | Mattoon PD}