State Drops 31 Child Sex Charges Against Ex Coach, Youth Leader

April 11, 2017

Prosecutors have dropped 31 child sex charges against a former Tate High School football coach and church leader.

Charlie Hamrick, 54,  was originally charged with over 40 criminal counts, but now faces 10 charges — six counts of sexual battery on a child under 12, one court of  giving obscene material to a minor and three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation. He remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond.

Thirty of the charges dropped by state were sexual battery on a child under 12 in a case that reaches back to 1997 when the alleged victim was as young as 8 years old. Six of the life felony charges in that case remain active.

“When spread over an extended period of time  sometimes it is hard to prove the exact specifics of each individual incident down to the what happened and exactly when,” Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said, explaining why the charges spanning 1997 to 2000 were dropped.  “It is not unusual to limit the number of cases to cover all events.”

When law enforcement makes an arrest they do so on probably cause,” he said, “where we must prove each charge beyond a reasonable doubt.”

He said it can become more difficult as time passes for victims to remember specific events down to the time and place of each. Marcille stressed that eliminating such large number of charges in no way indicates that prosecutors do not believe they have a strong case against Hamrick.

“This does not mean that we believe there is a problem with any of the cases,” the assistant state attorney said.

If Hamrick is convicted on any one of the sexual battery on a child under 12 charges, he will face a required sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Eight additional people have come forward as possible victims in the case. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating those claims. So far, no additional charges have been filed, Marcille confirmed Monday afternoon.

Those new allegations include claims that Hamrick gave unlicensed physical exams to athletes at Tate High School during is 2012-2015 tenure there as a supplemental football coach. Those physicals, it is alleged, may not have been limited to just football players.  The physicals included genitalia exams.

Hamrick was paid a supplement as a football coach at Tate High School from August 1, 2012, to September 14, 2015. He was not a teacher and did not have students under his watch in a classroom. He passed all of the background checks at the time.

For a previous story, click here.

Comments

3 Responses to “State Drops 31 Child Sex Charges Against Ex Coach, Youth Leader”

  1. Sara Evers on April 12th, 2017 12:54 pm

    I wonder if this is why some of the boys was told there physicals was lost. Then the children told parents it was ok they was found….really.

  2. Howie on April 11th, 2017 10:44 pm

    “NO BOND” good news to the ears. Parents teach your children that no person that is not a physician should be performing exams. I’m sure Hamrick had his way of luring students to believe it was legal to do that. He’s lucky to have some of the charges dropped !

  3. Parent on April 11th, 2017 7:54 pm

    This is why it is important for all victims to come forward with their story. Don’t let this man victimize another child!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News