Alec Andrue Denney, 25, is the former California high school basketball coach who is accused of engaging in sexual activity with an underage student for several months.
Police launched an investigation after receiving a tip and arrested Denney on the same day, according to a news release. Inmate records show Denney was booked into the Tulare County Jail on October 29.
As of this writing, Denney’s case had not yet been entered into online court records for the county and it was not immediately clear whether he had hired an attorney.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Alec Denney Was Arrested After a Friend of the Victim Alerted an Adult, Police Said
Tulare County SheriffAlec Denney, a high school basketball coach, is accused of having sex with an underage student.
Denney was accused of carrying on a sexual relationship with a student at Tulare Western High School for about 9 months, according to KFSN-TV. The outlet, citing Tulare Police Sergeant Ed Hinojosa, reported that a friend of the victim said something to an adult on October 28. According to a news release from the police, the tip was received by a Tulare Police Department School Resource Officer.
Officials interviewed the victim, who was 15 when the suspected relationship began, as well as school staff members and Denney, before making an arrest. Police said Denney was taken into custody “without incident.”
Denney faces three felony charges, according to Tulare County Sheriff inmate records:
- Unlawful sexual intercourse
- Sexual penetration by a foreign object with a victim under age 16
- Sexual battery by restraint
Inmate records show bond was set at $1.385 million.
The news release from Tulare Police further stated Denney faced charges including oral copulation of a minor under 16 years, sex with a minor, digital penetration and sexual battery.
2. Denney Was an Assistant Coach for Both the Girls & Boys Varsity Basketball Teams
Denney worked for the Tulare Western High School sports department for at least two seasons. KSEE-TV, citing a statement from the school district, reported Denney was an assistant coach for the girl’s varsity basketball team during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons.
The Visalia Times-Delta reported Denney also served as an assistant coach for the boy’s varsity team.
The Tulare Joint Union High School District issued a statement to parents, which ABC30 Action News republished on its website. The statement read in part:
The District takes the allegations against Mr. Denney very seriously and is continuing to work with the Tulare Police Department as they investigate this matter. While the District understands the need and desire for more information, there are specific laws that govern school districts that prohibit the District from sharing details of an ongoing personnel investigation.
The District remains committed to the safety and well-being of all of our students. All District staff receive regular training and guidance regarding the importance of maintaining appropriate relationships with students. The District encourages both students and staff to immediately report any perceived misconduct by an employee.
When the District learns of potential misconduct of an employee that may be criminal, it immediately reports the conduct to law enforcement. To that end, if anyone has any information regarding this matter, we encourage you to immediately report it to the District and the Tulare Police Department.
3. Denney Holds a Substitute Teaching Permit
CA.govAlec Denney was a licensed substitute teacher in California.
Denney was classified as a “walk-on” employee and was not teaching any classes within the district while he was coaching, police said. But he does hold a permit that would allow him to serve as a substitute teacher, according to records on the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing website.
The record shows Denney has a “30-Day Substitute Teaching Permit.” It was issued in February 2020 and is valid until March 2021. The page notes Denney’s last known place of employment was within Tulare County.
The substitute teaching permit is described on the website:
This permit authorizes the holder to serve as a substitute teacher for not more than thirty days for any one teacher during a school year in grades twelve and below, including preschool, and in classes organized primarily for adults. The holder may serve on this permit in any county in which the document is registered provided the employing agency has a statement of need on file for the school year.
4. Denney Is Part of the California National Guard
Here’s Denney’s @TulareSheriff booking photo. We’re learning that he is a *former* TW employee. But I was able to confirm that he is an *active* @CalGuard member. Live report on @ABC30 at 5.
Denney is an active member of the California National Guard. ABC30 Action News confirmed Denney was part of a “hazard response unit” and that the military was “cooperating with the investigation.”
A search of online records brings up a LinkedIn account for an Alec Denney from Tulare, California, which appears to have been last updated in late 2017. The account holder wrote that he joined the Army National Guard in December 2017 and that he was studying kinesiology in an online college program. The page also states he was coaching a varsity high school team and hoped to become a high school physical education teacher.
5. A Search of Tulare County Court Records Brings up Traffic Violations
Superior Court of CaliforniaAlec Denney has been accused of having sex with an underage student in Tulare, CA.
Denney does not appear to have been previously accused of criminal activity in California. A search of online records for the Superior Court of California, Tulare County, brings up three traffic violations.
In 2014, Denney was cited for driving at an “unsafe speed.” The record shows Denney agreed to pay a $278 fine.
In 2015, he was arrested for speeding again and was ordered to complete a traffic school program. He also paid $352 in fines.
Denney was also cited in 2017 for something having to do with proper registration. This case was dismissed after he showed “proof of correction,” according to the online record.
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