Former Lithia Springs coach sentenced to 25 years in sexual misconduct case
Kerry Hood (Credit: Douglas County Sheriff's Office)
DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. - A former Lithia Springs High School coach has been sentenced to 25 years after pleading guilty to sexual misconduct involving a student.
Kerry Hood sentenced
What we know:
Kerry Hood pleaded guilty Monday before Judge Deah B. Warren to three counts of improper sexual contact by an employee of agent, according to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office.
Hood was ordered to serve the first 12 years of his sentence in prison with the Georgia Department of Corrections.
Former Lithia Springs HS coach arrested
The backstory:
Hood was arrested in May after the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation into allegations that he sexually assaulted a student. The victim told investigators the abuse happened on school grounds and in other locations, including outside Georgia.
Probable cause was established, and Hood turned himself in on May 29. Days later, a judge denied him bond, calling him a "risk to society." Prosecutors said the sexual contact lasted at least six months, beginning Nov. 23 and continuing into the week of his arrest.
Hood was fired by the Douglas County School System following the arrest. The district said in a statement that it was "deeply disturbed by recent allegations of sexual misconduct involving a former Douglas County School System employee" and emphasized that student safety remains its top priority.
DeKalb County schools, where Hood had been offered a position as a football coach, also said the district would not move forward with his employment.
The Source: The Douglas County District Attorney's Office provided the details for this article.