Haywood County coach faces sex crime charges
JACKSON, Tenn. — A former coach that was wanted by investigators for multiple counts of alleged sex crimes has been captured.
According to a news release from the US Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force, they were asked to assist the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office in capturing and arresting 24-year old Richard Nash Jr., of Jackson.
He was taken into custody at his home on Netherwood Drive in north Jackson on Thursday.
On July 6, the Haywood County Circuit Court issued an arrest warrant for Nash, who was wanted for multiple counts of sex crimes.
These charges are related to alleged sexual misconduct by Nash during his time as an assistant athletic coach for a Haywood County school.
“After a fugitive investigation, we determined that he was at an address in Jackson, Tennessee. Our team put together an ops plan and we went to the residence and were able to take him into custody without any incident,” said Tyreece Miller, a Marshal for the Western District of Tennessee .
Sources say that Nash was the assistant girls soccer coach at Haywood High School, and the alleged victim was one of his players.
The charges against Nash related to this case are statutory rape by authority figure, sexual battery by authority figure, solicitation of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, and exploitation of a minor by electronic means.
“You have to think about the victim in this case. Anytime there’s a victim of a crime such as this, you know, that’s someone’s child. Law enforcement, we take that very seriously. We’re glad to go out there and get this individual off the street,” Miller said.
Haywood County Sheriff Billy Garrett told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News that Nash was initially taken to the Madison County Jail, and then was picked up by the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office and relocated to the Haywood County Jail.
His bond was set at $25,000, and he made bail late Thursday night.
He has been indicted by grand jury and the courts elected to skip arraignment.
We reached out to the Haywood County School system for a statement and Superintendent Amie Marsh said, “On the advice of legal counsel, at this time, Haywood County Schools is not issuing a formal statement.”
At this time, Nash’s court date has not been set.
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