Ex-Utica coach charged with sending sexually explicit text messages to player

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A former Utica community schools basketball coach is accused of explicit text messages with a young girl.

Former Eisenhower freshman girls’ basketball coach David Willman is now facing two felonies and up to seven years in prison.

"This guy is a 48-year-old man, he's not a kid," said Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith. "You're asking a 14-year-old girl to send nude photos. That in and of itself, is inappropriate in every way possible.

"We have text messages. Which is pretty darn good evidence."
 
Willman is accused of sending sexual text messages to a player. He was arraigned Wednesday on one count of accosting a child for immoral purposes and one count of using a computer to commit a crime.

"We're happy that he's going to be behind bars for a while," Smith said.
 
The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office says its Macomb Area Computer Enforcement Unit received a report on December 2, that Willman had been text messaging a 14-year-old student.

The school then notified parents and Utica community schools quickly fired Willman, who had been a contract employee.
 
"I'm very happy that the victim in this case got her parents involved before anything else happened other than these texts," Smith said.
 
Smith says Willman had been texting the teen for a month or so, with the messages slowly becoming more and more inappropriate.
 
"Every coach texts kids on the team but these turned into I want to see nude photos, please take photos, I want to send you photos," Smith said.

When confronted with the text messages Smith said that Willman says he was intoxicated when he sent them.

"He doesn't deny anything but he says he doesn't recall any of this," Smith said.
 
Although Smith says it doesn't appear Willman has a criminal past - he wouldn't be surprised if more victims come forward.

"It is a wakeup call for every parent out there to have a discussion with their daughters," Smith said.
 
Willman is now being held on a $150,000 bond and is due back in court next Tuesday.

"This kind of stuff," Smith said. "It will be met with the full force of this office."