Fleeing soccer coach spotted in Lexington. He was convicted of sexual battery of player

A fugitive soccer coach was recently spotted in Lexington after fleeing an Ohio courtroom before he was convicted of sex crimes against a 14-year-old player, according to media reports.

Justin Smith, a former soccer coach for the Southwest Soccer Club in Germantown, Ohio, allegedly disabled his electronic monitoring ankle bracelet after testifying last week, according to WHIO TV. Germantown is located near Dayton in southwest Ohio.

When his testimony was complete on Oct. 31, he drove away from the courthouse and did not return, the Dayton Daily News reported.

Multiple news outlets reported Smith drove to Lexington, left behind his pickup truck at Meijer in Hamburg on Oct. 31, checked into the nearby Courtyard by Marriott hotel. He stayed at the hotel for one night, WDTN reported.

Investigators believe Smith is now farther south and possibly in Florida, according to the Dayton Daily News.

The victim is safe with her family, My Dayton Daily News reported.

Smith was found guilty on two counts of sexual battery, three counts of unlawful conduct and two counts of sexual imposition with one of the girls on his team, according to ABC 22. He could be facing up to five years on each charge, the TV station reported.

WHIO TV reported the girl’s mother told the court she discovered text messages between Smith and her daughter that included the phrase “I love you” and other explicit messages.

While in court, Smith admitted to having a physical relationship with the girl, according to My Dayton Daily News. Prosecutors said Smith and the teen exchanged more than 17,000 texts in one month, the news outlet reported.

This story was originally published November 7, 2018 at 10:36 AM.