Kamiak Coach: “What I Want to Do... Would Get Us Both in A Lot of Trouble”
Kamiak Coach: “What I Want to Do... Would Get Us Both in A Lot of Trouble”
Detailing five increasingly painful episodes in which a 17-year-old student is used by an adult she trusted. J425 details the events at the core of the investigation.
Investigators say he leveraged his role as a football coach to access the victim, increasing his attention and flirting with the girl before arranging an off-campus meet-up in November.
Over the next five months, Willis had at least five sexual encounters with the girl — including two on the high school campus and one during the school day. Without exception, the girl found the sexual encounters painful and uncomfortable.
When she told him she was actually an underage student, he reportedly replied,
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Willis continued to increase in sexual aggressive with the girl until ultimately an anonymous tip to the Dean of Students halted the relationship in March. The dean tapped the school resource officer (SRO) for initial interviews, the SRO’s work brought in detectives and an initial alleged victim was located and agreed to be interviewed.
The girl reluctantly told investigators about her sexual relationship with “Coach Willis”.
As the details came out, the picture became darker and darker.
It became apparent that the girl was subjected to multiple painful ordeals, some of which left her unable to walk comfortably.
The fact that a 33-year-old educator was using a minor student for sexual gratification was bad enough. But the fact that he was audacious enough to personally pull her from class, whisk her off to another teachers portable, shut the shades, lock the door…This was getting worse. Suffice it to say that taxpayers send their children to school to get educated, not for the sexual consumption of a married assistant coach.
Detectives tracked the matter down with increased urgency and currently hold probable cause relating at least two felony minor-involved sex crimes. Yesterday, the investigation went public —our story is now unlocked — and MSD had seen enough to fire Willis.
Now, J425 will ask you to turn your attention from the cops and bad guys… the person most irreparably harmed: a girl who showed up to Kamiak football last September in order to lend a hand to the injured players and those taking care of them.
We apologize in advance for the disturbing and graphic nature of the reporting. Wherever possible, we will directly quote investigators — investigators who refer to the girl as a sexual assault victim for reasons that will become apparent. However disturbing it is to read the material, I believe we have an obligation to NOT look away. It’s far too easy to simply table the matter, to brush it aside and forget about it. That’s the attitude that creates more victims and less convictions.
And J425 is committed to change that attitude through reporting and attitude. In fact, check out our reporting on our local predator issue.
After he finished, the girl was in so much pain that she said she couldn’t walk properly.
The man dropped her off at home, joking about her status as a minor:
"You're almost 18, a couple more months left".
“If I Hadn’t Met My Wife First…”
From substitute to subject: of criminal investigation
HARBOUR POINTE - Initially, the girl believed the man mistook her for an adult. When she told him she was actually an underage student, he reportedly replied, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
The girl later found out that far from thinking of her as an adult, the man believed she was actually younger than her actual age.
She describes an incident at a football game where he referred to her as a sophomore and was initially unconvinced when she informed him she was a senior.
In response, he allegedly told her that she “didn’t look like a senior” before complimenting her on her appearance.
Still, the girl said she assumed his behavior was innocent: he was an adult; and an adult wouldn’t attempt a physical relationship with a student.
The victim told detectives that he began to give her "looks" and size her up during football games, as if he was "curious" and wanted to get to know her "sexually."
Eventually the looks and flirting became less subtle:
“What I want to do would get us both in a lot of trouble,” the coach reportedly told the girl, adding that he didn’t care and wanted to risk it, suggesting that they find a place outside of school to meet up.
1. Painful Attempts at Sex from the Closet Floor of an Empty House
On November 10, the educator picked the girl up near her home, took her to an empty house that he had access to through a realty business, placed her on the floor of a closet and attempted to have sex with her.
“It hurt too much,” the victim told the detectives, describing her state of mind.
She knew what was happening was wrong, she was most concerned about her mom finding out.
She said she could smell Julian's smokey musk and could smell his penis.
"I just kept on trying to look at one thing to try and distract me,” she said.
She noted a tattoo on Julian's neck that said "I love you" in French!
and she closed her eyes a lot, and "so a lot of that was all black.
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