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School Coach Allegedly Taped Sex With 14-Year-Old

Posted: 12:03 pm EDT October 6, 2006Updated: 4:51 pm EDT October 6, 2006

A local basketball coach, who taught at three different Christian schools, was behind bars Friday, accused of taking advantage of a 14-year-old student who trusted him.

Buck Lanham is charged with videotaping himself having sex with one of his students. He is in the Orange County jail after police arrested him at Orlando Christian Prep School.

Administrators at the school said they were organizing a meeting with all of the parents for Monday night, where they will explain what they know about the coach's arrest. But, they said, no one will ever be able to explain why someone would do what he's accused of doing.

"Our experience tells us these guys just don't stop at one. There's usually multiple kids," Sgt. Rich Mankewich, Orange County Sheriff's Office.

But, detectives said, the one case they already have against William "Buck" Lanham is bad enough. They said he started a relationship with a 14-year old girl at St. Johns Vianney Catholic School and then convinced her parents to transfer her to Bishop Moore High School, where he would be coaching the girls' basketball team.

Detectives said the sexual encounters continued for four years. "You'd hope when you drop your kids off at school, it's the one place they're gonna be safe and, for the coach to betray the school, parents, community, it's an outrage," Mankewich said.

The girl, now 23, told detectives she ended the relationship when she left for college. Lanham transferred to Orlando Christian Prep, where he went on to coach a state championship team.

By the time the victim came forward, detectives couldn't charge Lanham with the sex crime because the statute of limitations ran out when she turned 21. But the case didn't end there.

"In his bedroom we found two video tapes like she had stated, graphic sex acts between the two of them," Mankewich said.

Detectives said the tapes were enough to charge Lanham with sexual performance by a child and get his arrest photo out to other parents and students who may have had contact with him.

"Obviously, it was a bad experience for her all those years and she wanted to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else," Mankewich said.

If more victims come forward, it could mean tougher charges.
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