Trent Stanley

PARKERSBURG — Belpre High School soccer coach Trent Stanley has been indicted by the Wood County Grand Jury on multiple sexual assault and abuse charges.

Stanley, 23, of 702 Crooks Ave., Ravenswood, was suspended in April by Belpre City Schools, where he also served as boys junior high track coach. He’s also under investigation by the Belpre Police Department, although a detective said he could not provide any additional information because the case is open.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Wood County Magistrate Court, Stanley is accused of driving a female younger than 16 from Belpre to his apartment on Red Hill Road in Parkersburg for sexual activity multiple times between October and December. He was arrested by the Wood County Sheriff’s Department on May 7, charged with one count of sexual assault in the third degree.

The grand jury indicted him this week on seven counts of third-degree sexual assault and eight counts of sexual abuse by a person in a position of trust. Wood County Prosecutor Pat Lefebure said all the charges involve the same juvenile.

Stanley is currently out on a $5,000 bond, a condition of which is that he have no contact with females under the age of 16.

The school district suspended Stanley, who is not employed there full time, from all duties in April after receiving a complaint of “inappropriate conduct” against him, Belpre City Schools Superintendent Tony Dunn said. The district notified local law enforcement and Child Protective Services and is cooperating fully with the investigation, he said.

“Student safety is the district’s top priority,” Dunn said. “Thanks to parents, staff and students, this matter was brought to light. We encourage everyone, if you see or know something, say something.”

Stanley completed his first season as coach of the coed soccer team this fall and had previously spent at least one season as an assistant coach, as well as a volunteer assistant for the boys basketball team, Dunn said. No red flags about him were raised in the required background check, he said.

“Belpre City Schools has mandatory training and background checks to prevent such behavior, and we will use all the information from this case to increase our efforts in preventing this type of conduct from happening in the future,” Dunn said.

According to magistrate court documents, Stanley was represented by attorney George Cosenza. Cosenza had not returned a call seeking comment on the case as of Thursday afternoon.