A former Central Catholic High School assistant women’s soccer coach and substitute teacher has been indicted by a Lucas County grand jury on allegations she had a lengthy sexual relationship with one of her teen varsity players, according to the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office.
Kathryn Vose, 28, formerly of Toledo but who now resides in the Seattle area, was charged on Thursday with three counts of sexual battery, all third-degree felonies, disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a fifth-degree felony, and corrupting another with drugs, a fourth-degree felony.
Prosecutors believe she engaged in sexual acts with the student at a Sylvania residence and possibly at the school. Ms. Vose is also accused of sending the teen nude photographs, smoking marijuana with her, and providing the teenager CBD — cannabidiol, a cannabis product without psychoactive properties — said Patti Wardrop, an assistant county prosecutor who oversees the criminal child victim division.
The offenses occurred from March, 2017 to October, 2018, Ms. Wardrop said. Prosecutors say the two continued a “long-distance relationship.”
The coach addressed a package to the victim, but it was sent to one of her friend’s homes. That friend called the victim’s mother, notifying her that her daughter had a package.
The mother picked up the package and opened it, finding a new cell phone and a series of letters for the victim, Ms. Wardrop said. The letters referenced sexual intercourse, getting married, having children, getting high, and playing video games, the prosecutor said.
Ms. Wardrop said one of the letters indicated Ms. Vose believes she cannot get into trouble for the sexual relationship because the victim turned 18 in November.
While a student 16 years or older may consent to sexual relations, “this was a coach and a person with authority and that makes it criminal on its own,” Ms. Wardrop said.
The Blade reached Ms. Vose on Friday, who confirmed she was a soccer coach at the school last year. According to her LinkedIn page, she worked as a substitute teacher and the assistant women’s soccer coach from February, 2017 to May, 2018.
“The relationship happened well after I left the school. The student in question was an adult,” Ms. Vose said on Friday.
According to school officials, the former coach resigned during the 2017-18 school year.
“Central Catholic School administrators were notified by investigators about an alleged incident involving a former coach and student. The former coach resigned from Central Catholic during the 2017-18 school year. The school is currently cooperating with the Toledo Police Department with the investigation. Central Catholic cannot and will not release any more information involving the student and the former coach,” according to a statement released by the school.
Ms. Vose now attends graduate school in Washington in the education field, according to Ms. Wardrop.
The incident marks the second time this month a youth coach was indicted on sex charges.
Separately, a former Springfield Township youth coach was indicted on accusations he sexually assaulted youths.
Kenneth Fisher, 53, Swanton, is charged with four counts of gross sexual imposition, all third-degree felonies; one count of sexual imposition; and four counts of public indecency from incidents leading to alleged inappropriate touching from Jan. 1, 2016, to Oct. 1, 2018.
According to Springfield Township’s youth and basketball website, Mr. Fisher is a baseball coach for boys ages 7 and 8.
During one of those times, Mr. Fisher had a pool party and invited several boys over, requiring them to swim without swim trunks. He would then chase the boys around the pool in the nude, Ms. Wardrop said.
In a separate incident, he is also accused of applying cream to a wrestler’s genital area.
Recently, Judge Lindsay Navarre also denied a second motion for judicial release for a former Springfield High School teacher who had sex with a 16-year-old student.
Kyle McKinch’s attorneys, Jay Feldstein and Jane Roman, jointly filed a motion for their client’s release last month. McKinch, who is married and has two young children, has served 20 months of his 36-month sentence and has been “an exemplary inmate while incarcerated.”
McKinch previously requested early release on Dec. 21, 2017, and the judge denied it on Jan. 9, 2018, noting the basis for denial as, “the mental injury suffered by the victim of the offense due to the conduct of the offender that was exacerbated because of the age of the victim.”
First Published March 22, 2019, 4:27 p.m.
