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A former Marietta Middle School basketball coach was sentenced to 60 months in prison Monday morning for having unlawful sexual conduct with minors.
Crystal Dawn Burke, 42, of 16 Meadowcrest Lane, Little Hocking, pleaded guilty in February to a bill of information to nine counts of the third-degree felony offense.
Unlawful sexual conduct with a minor is normally a fourth-degree felony, but with more than 10 years age difference between Burke and the victims, the charges were bumped to a third-degree felony.
Prosecutors say there were four victims, all around 14 years of age, and all former basketball players.
Washington County Prosecutor Nicole Coil said at the time of Burke's indictment that the incidents were from the beginning of July to the end of October 2020, which is after Burke's coaching contract had expired.
According to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Det. Sgt. Robert McKee initiated the investigation into Burke, reviewing both allegations of sexual relations with multiple 14- and 15-year-old boys and providing of alcoholic beverages to those children.
Coil said during the sentencing hearing that "I wish (Burke) did show some remorse for this, but her lies to the (presentence) investigator in her attempt to re-victimize the juveniles in this case, firmly show the PSI investigator was correct when she found that she had absolutely no remorse for her actions."
Coil noted the PSI fails to mention that Burke invited the boys to her home when her own children were not home.
She also didn't mention she purchased Busch Light and Fireball whiskey for the boys, the prosecutor said.
She said the victims were vulnerable and the damage done to them is likely not all done.
The prosecutor then went into detail of the abuse of the boys before saying in the PSI report, Burke said it occurred because the boys were manipulative and she was scared of their threats.
The boys, in turn, said they were bored and invited her to go 4-wheeling with them so she would buy alcohol.
"When asked why she committed the offense, she said it was not planned and that she was taken advantage of," Coil. "She does not say she took advantage of the trust placed in her by Marietta City Schools or the trust the parents had in her because of this role, but rather, she said she was taken advantage of by the 14-year-old boys."
She provided the boys with not just alcohol, but gifts such as cash.
The victim's advocate read a letter from one of the victim's mothers. Her son had turned 14 last July.
"He was young, innocent and trusting," the advocate read. "He had not yet started puberty. He was blindly trusting of an adult who had been his eighth grade basketball coach."
The mother wrote that her son felt safe with his coach and was not ready for sex. Since the event, he has had nightmares, panic attacks at school and feels anxious going out in public, the letter stated.
Defense attorney Rolf Baumgartel said there were many letters of support for his client, but Burke didn't want to talk about the incidents.
"She is extremely embarrassed and ashamed of her actions," he said.
The state was asking Burke get a sentence of 11 years in prison, and Baumgartel said he's never seen unlawful sexual conduct with a minor get that steep a penalty.
"She pled guilty as she accepted responsibility," he said.
As Burke had no prior criminal record, he asked she receive four or five years in prison.
Burke had no statement on her own behalf.
Washington County Common Pleas Judge Mark Kerenyi said the victims suffered serious psychological damage as she held a position of trust. There were multiple victims over multiple incidents, so this wasn't a single time offense, he said. She even groomed the victims by buying them gifts.
He sentenced Burke to 60 months in prison for each of the nine counts Burke pleaded guilty to, although they are all to run concurrently.
Her plea agreement stated she could have received four to 11 years in prison.
She is now classified a Tier II sex offender.
Michele Newbanks can be reached at mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.
At a Glance
¯ Crystal Dawn Burke, 42, was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
¯ She pleaded guilty to nine counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
¯ She was a former basketball and track coach at Marietta Middle School.
Source: Washington County Common Pleas Court.