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Court documents detail accusations of intimate encounter between local coach, student
Posted: 06.22.2012 at 5:02 PM
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DEWITT -- Court documents released Friday afternoon detail the alleged intimate encounter between a 17-year-old girl and a Manlius Pebble Hill sports coach.

In the report, the teen accuses Thomas Pritchard, 45, of putting his hand down the front of her dress to rub her breasts.

The accuser says the incident happened June 1st, which was the last day of school, while she was at a Boot Camp physical training program at the private school.

She says Pritchard knew her schedule and knew that she didn't have a class early on. She claims the day of the incident, Pritchard texted her and asked her to come to the weight room.

Pritchard and the teen spent a few minutes talking before he allegedly started to rub her shoulders before sliding his hand under her dress, according to court documents.

The girl says the touching went on for five minutes. She told police that she was so shocked at what was happening that she didn't tell him to stop.

The teen says Pritchard said things like, 'this is wrong,' 'this is inappropriate,' and 'we can't tell anyone about this.' She says he stopped touching her after they heard a noise outside the weight room door. She says she left the weight room after Pritchard came over to her again a few minutes later.

The teen says Pritchard came to where she works shortly after the alleged incident, but joked that he considered not showing up since someone other than her answered the work phone.

She claims he texted her shortly after saying it was "important to have empathy for other people and think about how much other people do for you."

The accuser later told an adult about the touching and the school called DeWitt Police.

Prior to the alleged incident, the girl says her relationship with the man she simply called "Pritchard" was like a father-daughter bond. She claims Pritchard would text her all the time and joke around, and told her he was having marital problems.

Pritchard is charged with forcible touching. He was arrested and has since posted bail. He has plead not guilty to the charge.

He is due in DeWitt Town Court on Wednesday, June 27th at 6 p.m.

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