A former Mississippi high school basketball coach will spend 20 years in prison for grooming and sexually abusing an underage student-athlete.
Willie Alexander Jr., who formerly served as an assistant coach at Clinton Christian School just outside of Jackson, pleaded guilty to sexual battery and child exploitation in connection with crimes he had committed against a 14-year-old pupil on Oct. 1, and was sentenced on Oct. 15.
Back in 2022, the victim’s mother reported to police that her son informed her of an inappropriate relationship with Alexander that had been going on for several months. Alexander is reported to have showered the victim with gifts in order to coerce him into engaging in sexual activity with him. The teenager is also said to have traveled out of state with the coach on numerous occasions, and the two were planning a trip to Disney World together.
After the victim revealed all of this information to his mother, Alexander reportedly showed up at the family’s residence unexpectedly. There, he admitted to the victim’s mother that he taught the student how to use a condom.
Officials report that a search warrant was later executed at Alexander’s residence. Investigators at the scene found sex toys and multiple recording devices, including a hidden recording device that had been concealed inside a battery-operated air freshener. A van parked at the home also contained items for sexual activity.
“A coach should be a role model, not a predator. By speaking up, this child is a hero who helped bring an abuser to justice,” Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens said in response to the defendant’s guilty plea. “We will protect our children. We will protect our community, and we will hold abusers accountable.”
Alexander was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with 10 years suspended, meaning he’ll spend two decades behind bars. He will also have to undergo five years of post-release supervision once he’s reintroduced into society.
