The head baseball coach at Coffee County Central High School in Manchester, Tenn., was arrested Tuesday on allegations of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl.
Bradley Newton Weir, 43, of Hills Chapel Road in Manchester, was charged Tuesday with statutory rape by an authority figure in connection with an incident that happened at his home on Jan. 29, Manchester Police Department investigator Billy Butler said. Butler said officers arrested Weir on a warrant issued Tuesday morning.
Coach Bradley Newton Weir, 43, was charged with statutory rape by authority figure in connection with an incident that happened at his home on Jan. 29, Manchester Police Department investigation Billy Butler said this afternoon.Weir is free on a $100,000 bond.
Coffee County Schools officials could not be reached for comment late Tuesday, but the Manchester Times newspaper reported that Director of Schools Dr. LaDonna McFall said earlier Tuesday that Weir was suspended from all employment without pay pending an investigation.
"At this point, this is in the hands of authorities," McFall told the newspaper. School officials said Jon Spears will serve as interim head coach of the baseball team.
Butler said Tuesday that authorities launched an investigation after information about the Jan. 29 incident made its way to police.
The victim "had communicated about it to a friend and the friend got word to a parent and it snowballed from there and ended up in our laps," Butler said. "There were some text messages back and forth, pictures back and forth."
Butler said investigators are still working to determine how long the relationship between the two existed.
Weir gave a statement to police.
"He cooperated and admitted to the incident that happened at his residence," Butler said.
Butler said that "when and if the grand jury gets this case, there'll probably be other charges at that time."
Weir faces a court date Feb. 17.
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben.benton1 or 423-757-6569.