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High School Basketball Coach Accused Of Touching Girls

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Tribune staff report

Published: January 23, 2008

Updated: 01/23/2008 11:40 pm

EAGLE LAKE - EAGLE LAKE - The Lake Region High School junior varsity girls basketball head coach was arrested Wednesday. He is accused of telling a player to drop her shorts and touching another player, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

Fred Standifer

Fred Standifer, 48, of 502 William Ave., Winter Haven, told one of the students to "drop her shorts" because he wanted to do a sexual act with her, according to an affidavit.

He also is accused of touching the 16-year-old student on her thigh during a bus ride after a game, the affidavit states.

The second girl, a 15-year-old student, told authorities Standifer grabbed her buttocks while they were at Burger King, according to the affidavit.

The incidents started in August 2007 and continued up to now, the report states.

Standifer was charged with battery, solicitation of sexual battery on a victim younger than 18, lewd conduct, and false imprisonment. Standifer is being held without bail at Polk County Jail until his first appearance Thursday morning.

The students reported the touching and inappropriate words to school officials and a school resource officer.

A detective went to the school and interviewed the students who spoke about how uncomfortable they felt.

The 16-year-old student told the detective that Standifer locked her inside a room at the high school. That's when he told her, "I want everything you can offer" and backed her into a corner, according to the affidavit.

He followed by telling her to remove her shorts, the report states. After the student started to cry, Standifer let her leave the room, according to the affidavit.

The second student told the detective that Standifer often grabbed her buttocks, according to the report.

The 15-year-old student told the coach she couldn't find one of her basketball shirts, the affidavit states. Standifer told her that if she didn't find it, she would have to give him a hug every day for a week, the affidavit states. She couldn't find the shirt and the coach unlocked a cabinet and took out her shirt, the report states. Standifer said she owed him a hug for a week, according to the affidavit.

During the investigation, the detective monitored conversations between the coach and the students.

The student asked Standifer why he locked her in the room and wanted her to remove her shorts, the report states. The coach said he was testing her and she passed the test, according to the affidavit.

The detective interviewed the coach in Bartow. Standifer told investigators he was only testing the 16-year-old student, the report states. The coach conceded they would have had sexual intercourse "if she had failed the test," according to the affidavit.

He denied the incident with the 15-year-old student.

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