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A 15-year-old claims sexual assault, her softball coach calls it horseplay. 38-year-old Rohan Lewis, a volunteer coach at James Island Christian School went before a bond court judge around 8:00 p.m. Thursday night. He is charged with committing a lewd act on a minor and his bond is now set at $100,000.
A suspect rarely speaks out during a bond hearing, but that's not the case Thursday night. Lewis told Judge Mary Holmes he was just playing around and never meant anything sexual by what he says happened on Tuesday afternoon. A much different story though, from the victim and her attorney who calls Lewis' actions the equivalent of rape.
"We horsed around a lot and it just got out of hand that particular day," said Lewis as he stood before a video screen in the Charleston County Bond Court room. That day now has a young girl in recovery.
"She's very very upset, she was very very upset when it occurred," said Joseph Cerato, the victim's attorney.
The young softball player told police Lewis grabbed her as she was waiting to leave practice, then put her in a head lock. She says she struggled to get away as he inappropriately touched and kissed her.
"It was a bad decision of mine to play around with her for that period," said Lewis.
The victim's father says he's now questioning if Lewis ever had contact with any other students. Lewis has coached on and off at James Island Christian School for the last three years. He told Judge Holmes he had a boy from the basketball team over last weekend.
"We think it was kind of a grooming type of situation, where he was preparing, seeing who he'd attack first and he clearly attacked this girl," said Cerato.
Based on conditions of his bond, Lewis is banned from being at the school, having any contact with the victim or anyone under the age 18. The victim's father spoke with us off camera and says he hopes all parents whose children have been in contact with Lewis will talk to their children about this reported incident.
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