Sex abuse trial for former SLHS coach begins

Dec. 8—The trial for a former South Laurel High School basketball coach accused of sexual abuse began on Tuesday morning and is expected to end on Wednesday.

Jury selection for the trial of Jonathan Walker began Tuesday morning, with an eight-woman, five-man panel chosen by noon. After a brief recess, the prosecution and defense started their opening statements just before 2 p.m.

Commonwealth's Attorney Jackie Steele told jurors the victim, who was 16 years old at the time the incident took place, had played basketball during her freshman and sophomore year but that the relationship between player and coach changed during the victim's sophomore year. That change occurred when Walker began making gestures toward the student athlete.

"He touched her in a sexual manner for his own gratification," Steele said.

Walker's attorney, Conrad Cessna, told jurors the burden of proof was on the Commonwealth and that he believed the evidence would prove Walker was not guilty.

"You have to hold Mr. Steele to what he said," Cessna said. "There were allegations made — that's why we're here. But at the end of the day, that proof will not exist. Listen to the evidence, listen to the details."

The details began with the victim, now 19 years old, who said the incident took place on Friday, Nov. 2, 2018 when she was alone with Walker in the school gymnasium, which also houses the locker rooms, training room and what was then Walker's office. The victim stated the girls basketball team had a practice and that she and another player were inside the gym when Walker asked her to help him carry some equipment to the training room, which was near Walker's office.

"While I was in there, (friend) called and said her mom was there to pick her up. I met her in the locker room and we went to the office together," the victim said. "She left. Then he (Walker) started kissing me. I was up against the whiteboard and he started groping my breasts and (genital area)."

She also said that Walker had kissed her with "open mouth."

That wasn't the first time the two had kissed, according to the victim's testimony. The victim said Walker had checked her out of class on a prior occasion and she was lying on the couch in his office. Walker, she said, had her head lying in his lap and began rubbing her lower thigh area and kissing her on her neck and lips. She also told how Walker had checked her out of class another time and the two had gone to Walmart, where the victim inadvertently had run into her mother. She also detailed how Walker took her to a parking lot and began talking about other women he had been with besides his wife and how he wanted to be with her when she turned 18.

The victim said she and Walker had been having communication by Snapchat, telling jurors that Walker had sent her at least two pictures of his private parts. She also admitted that she had sent him pictures of her "upper thighs" but was wearing underwear in the photos.

But the incident on that Friday night basketball practice in which Walker touched her lay heavy on the teen girl's mind and when she was questioned by her stepmother on the relationship with Walker, she denied it. But, when she blocked Walker from her Snapchat account, he messaged her to ask why. That, coupled with the emotion she was feeling, resulted in the victim telling her stepmother about the relationship, which resulted in the victim being taken to the police department to file a complaint against Walker.

Cessna began his cross examination of the victim at 3:30 p.m., first questioning her about statements she had made about not wanting to play basketball that year. He also questioned whether other students besides the victim were called out of class to Walker's office, which the victim confirmed.

Walker resigned as girls basketball coach within days after the allegations were filed. He was indicted by a Laurel grand jury in February 2019 on one count of first-degree sexual abuse as "being a person in a position of authority or position of special trust."