By Verna Slate, Williamson County Bureau
CARTERVILLE, Ill. — A pre-trial hearing has been set for a former Carterville School District coach accused of sexual assault, KFVS12 reported, the next step in a case that began with his arrest on criminal sexual abuse charges reported by KWQC.
The man served as an assistant football coach in the district before the arrest. Neither outlet's reporting detailed the specific allegations or identified the accuser, and this paper will not speculate beyond what's been confirmed.
What matters now is what happens in the courtroom. Parents in this county trust coaches with their kids on the promise that the field is a safe place. When that trust is broken, or even alleged to be broken, the case deserves the same scrutiny this bureau gives every official who holds power over someone with less of it. We'll be watching the docket as the pre-trial hearing proceeds.
— Compiled from reporting by KFVS12 and KWQC.
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