Longtime prep basketball coach charged with videotaping male athletes in school showers
A disturbing incident has unfolded in one of America's most passionate prep sports towns, where a longtime high school coach faces charges of smuggling a video recording device into the boys locker room and using it to illicitly capture footage of male student athletes while they showered.
As reported by Cleveland NBC affiliate WKYC, Jackson (Ohio) High freshman basketball coach Scott Studer was arrested and charged with eight counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material in connection with an incident in which Studer was caught bringing video recording devices into the boys locker room. Studer has served as the Jackson freshman boys basketball coach for years, and has worked in the Jackson Local School District for 25 years.
Studer is listed as a 46-year-old resident of neighboring Massillon, Ohio, the original football home of legendary coach Paul Brown.
While the very nature of Studer's alleged actions is disturbing, the length of time over which he was able to maintain his videotaping practices might be of even larger concern. According to Massillon Police Chief David Zink, evidence collected against Studer showed that the coach had been filming the boys locker room since 2005. Given that eight-year span, it's entirely possible that Studer could eventually face dozens of additional charges similar to the ones that have already been levied against him.
Luckily, Zink told WKYC that there was no indication that Studer sold or bartered any of the videos or images he captured. Still, there have not been any prospective victims identified in the videos themselves as of yet, with those who eventually are shown to be victims facing even more scrutiny because of the public attention the case has attracted.
"The only time the cameras were there was when [Studer] had access to the locker room," Zink said at a press conference. "When we became aware of it we immediately contacted the school and they've worked closely with us."
Zink refused to divulge many more details, but did mention that he and other local authorities expect federal charges against Studer to follow in the coming days.
Studer tendered his resignation from the school district almost immediately after being charged in the case. The larger question now is whether he will have a free future ahead of him in any shape or form given the allegations against the middle-aged coach.
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