A 38-year-old former girl’s basketball coach at Palmdale High School was charged this week with more than a dozen felony sex counts.
Marcus Williams of Lancaster was charged by the District Attorney’s office with one count of meeting a minor for lewd purposes, and two counts each of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, lewd act upon a child, oral copulation of a person under 16, contact with a minor for sexual offense, possession of child or youth pornography, distribution of child pornography, and activity involving material depicting sexual conduct.
Ricardo Santiago, spokesperson for the DA’s office, said the sex-related charges involved a 15-year-old girl. The child pornography charges involve a number of videos and photos that Williams allegedly had. Santiago said some of the images were of the girl.
The crimes reportedly took place in December 2015 and again on Jan. 7. The Sheriff’s Department said Williams was arrested Jan. 8 at approximately 12:13 a.m. near the intersection of 45th Street East and Avenue Q-12 in Palmdale.
The Antelope Valley Union High School District issued a statement: “Immediately upon learning from the Palmdale Sheriff’s department, we responded to the incident. We are addressing it as a personnel matter in accordance with state law and district policy. We are working with the Sheriff’s Department.”
Williams’ bail is set at $500,000. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 29.
