Ocala high school coach arrested, charges include unlawful sexual activity with a minor

ORLANDO, Fla. - Police arrested an Ocala high school assistant football coach for multiple felony charges including unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
What we know:
James Edward Ford III, 43, was an assistant football coach for West Port High School. The week prior, a school resource officer (SRO) was informed of an alleged inappropriate relationship between a student and Ford.
The SRO interviewed the student, who shared that she and Ford started communicating through text messages and over the phone in January 2024. They then started meeting outside of school in August 2024.
The student told officials her and Ford had kissed, including once in a school locker room. She also stated that she had a sexual encounter in Ford's vehicle in September 2024 when she was 16-years-old.
Ocala Police arrested Ford on Friday for several felony charges, including unlawful sexual activity with certain minors, offenses against students by authority figures, travel to meet a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
The Source: The information in this article comes from the Ocala Police Department.
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