Former Softball Coach Pleads Guilty to Having Sex With 17-Year-Old Student

A former Ohio, high school softball coach faces several years in jail after pleading guilty to multiple sex-related offenses with a student, court records show.

Ashley Rison, a 31-year-old former softball coach, and teacher’s aide, allegedly had sex with a 17-year-old student while she worked at New Miami High School in Ohio.

Rison engaged in sexual activity with the student eight times in April 2021, according to the indictment.

Rison quit her job on May 3, 2021, the day the alleged crimes were reported to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

Ashley Rison

“Ashley Ra-Nae Rison is no longer employed by the New Miami Local School Board. Effective May 3, 2021, Ms. Rison resigned from her position as Paraprofessional and Coach. New Miami Local Schools has no further comment at this time,” Superintendent Rhonda Parker told a local news outlet.

It is unknown whether the victim or a different eyewitness provided the authorities with evidence against Rison.

Prosecutors said they have multiple recordings of Rison begging the child not to report her to the authorities.

“In addition to what the child tells us, we do have recordings between Ms. Rison and the child of where Ms. Rison makes multiple incriminating statements in asking, begging the child not to report her to the authorities,” Assistant Prosecutor Lindsay Sheehan said.

Prosecutors also charged Rison with evidence tampering and providing alcohol to a minor, but those charges were later dropped.

“It was discovered she was in a car with the [victim] and observed, and it went from there,” Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser said.

“Every prosecutor that I have ever known, and in every state, I have ever dealt with, takes cases involving teachers and students very seriously with respect to sexual conduct and contact,” Gmoser added. “We are dealing with impressionable young minds, and along comes an adult who takes advantage of them.

Ashley Rison (WXIX News)

“We take all felonies seriously, but I think we add a little extra seriousness to these positions-of-trust type offenses,” Gmoser said. “Prosecutors can hold these people accountable to let them know we take this seriously.”

Rison had only one victim, and the prosecutors are “not alleging a rape by force,” according to Gmoser.

Rison, who pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of sexual battery and gross sexual imposition, could spend up to 5 years in jail and may have to register as a sex offender.

Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. 

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