West Broward High School girls basketball interim coach Marquita Adley was released Wednesday morning on a $15,000 bond, after spending the night in jail on sex charges. Â Read more after the jump.
Pembroke Pines police arrested the 25-year-old former Florida International University Panther on Tuesday. She posted bond and was released at 9:49 a.m. Wednesday. Adley, of Miami, is being charged with three counts of sexual battery by a custodian on a victim under 18 years of age.
In addition to the high school team that she coached to a district title and deep into the regional playoffs this season, Adley is a youth basketball coach at several local schools, camps and travel basketball teams..
The alleged victim is a 16-year-old girl who was a member of Lady Storm, a Davie-based basketball team. Pembroke Pines Police Capt. Bryan Davis said he didn’t know if she is also a West Broward High student.
“Honestly, we’re shocked. No one touches our girls,” said Gordon Angus, one of the directors of the Lady Storm.
He said his organization is “doing everything we can” to find out what happened and how to prevent something similar in the future, but declined to comment further.
The sexual contact is alleged to have happened on several occasions between the months of April and June at the girl’s house, a teammate’s house during a sleep-over party and in North Carolina on a basketball tournament trip, according to an affidavit.
Adley “digitally penetrated” and performed oral sex on the girl, the affidavit alleges. All incidents lasted less than five minutes, the girl reported. The girl advised that she “actively participated in the sexual encounters and never told Adley to stop or tried to push her way,” the report states. However, the girl is under the age of consent.
“The victim asked Adley not to tell anyone about their relationship and told her to they had to be careful because she didn’t want to get in trouble,” the affidavit states.
Police say the girl’s father became aware of the relationship and contacted police.
Adley initially denied any inappropriate behavior in a police interview on Monday, but on Tuesday acknowledged touching the girl’s private parts while denying there was any oral sex, the report states.
West Broward Athletic Director Jim Darr said he was “shocked” and “sorry to hear the news.”
“As a coach, she did a good job with the kids,” he said. “She worked them hard, taught [them] as she should as a coach [and] she was developing the players that she had.”
While Adley’s status with West Broward is unclear, her name has been removed from the school’s athletics website.
Before playing for FIU, the 6-foot forward played for Monsignor Edward Pace High School, where she was first team all-county and all-state for three years.
