FRANKLIN, Ind. — A former track and field coach at Franklin Community High School has been charged with four counts of child seduction in a case that dates back to 2014.
The girl, who is an adult now, says when she was a 16-year-old student-athlete at Franklin, she had an inappropriate relationship with James Betts.
Betts, 42, was an assistant coach at the school from 2013-2015, but returned this spring.
The girl told police that when she learned that Betts was back to coaching track and field at Franklin, she felt it was her “responsibility” to tell the school because “she did not want anyone to ever have to go through what she went through,” according to a probable cause affidavit.
The girl said during her freshman year, Betts first started texting her from another student’s phone, but then later used his own. They would snapchat each other, where Betts sent “between 50 and 100 pictures of his penis.”
During the summer of 2014, she was riding in Betts’ car after babysitting his kids. That’s when he forced her to perform oral sex. A few months later, the girl said Betts invited her over to his house while his wife was out of town. They had sex in the living room while his kids were sleeping in a room down the hallway. She told police she was “traumatized by the thought of the kids being so close to this.” The girl told police “she never felt like she could say no.”
On April 5, after getting the report from the girl, school officials met with the Franklin Police Department. The same day, Betts was fired as detectives met with him. He eventually admitted to the sexual relationship with the girl, saying “I know I’m a bad person. It’s the end of my coaching career and the end of my marriage.”
In a statement, the school corporation says “Franklin Schools will continue to work closely with the Franklin Police Department on this matter. All students’ safety is a priority, and the district has procedures and policies in place to ensure a safe, secure learning environment is available to all. If anyone has additional information, they should contact the Franklin Police Department.”
