A former American football coach and his girlfriend have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for a series of depraved child sex offences, including the abuse of a teenage student on school grounds and the creation of sexual abuse material involving toddlers.
Sentencing and Shocking Crimes Revealed
Antwone Washington, 46, and Jada Cole, 27, appeared before Judge Monica Trujillo in Las Vegas on Monday, where they learned they will spend between eight and 25 years behind bars. The pair had previously pleaded guilty in December to attempted use of a minor in producing child sexual abuse material and lewdness with a child under 16.
Washington was the head football coach and a campus security officer at Valley High School. Cole was described as one of his three girlfriends; Washington is also married. Both will be required to register as sex offenders for life upon their release.
Abuse on Campus and Betrayal of Trust
The court heard harrowing details of the crimes. Police discovered videos showing Washington sexually abusing an underage female student. The evidence included clips of him raping her and urinating on her while she was tied up. One video was filmed in Washington's office, located in the boys' locker room at Valley High School. He also abused the teen in his vehicle in the school car park.
The initial case involved the teenage student, but a deeper investigation uncovered two more infant victims. Prosecutors identified toddlers, aged under three, with whom the couple also created child sexual abuse material. The Clark County District Attorney's office stated Washington and Cole were babysitting these young children at the time.
Victim Impact and Courtroom Condemnation
During the sentencing, the mothers of the young victims confronted the pair. One mother, whose two-year-old child was abused, told Cole and Washington: "Your actions are repulsive. You are a treacherous, vile creature who deserves to never walk free." She revealed Cole had sent inappropriate pictures of her toddler daughter to Washington.
Another victim's mother expressed relief that the pair would be punished, stating: "You two are predators that prey on children. The universe has a very long memory. You both now have to reap what you sow."
Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney William Rowles condemned Washington's actions, highlighting the breach of trust. "Not only do we have a teacher or a football coach who’s used his position within our community to abuse and take advantage of students, we also now have an individual who we found is essentially sexually abusing, photographing toddlers, infants," he said.
Plea Deal and Defence Arguments
Both defendants entered a plea deal with state prosecutors in December. As part of the agreement, Washington received credit for 471 days already served, while Cole was credited with 321 days. The evidence in the case was reportedly so graphic that much of it was sealed for the trial.
Washington's defence lawyer, Tyler Gaston, had previously argued his client was a mentor and posed no flight risk, requesting release on his own recognizance. Gaston questioned the severity of the charges, suggesting the investigation originated from a separate incident involving the teen victim. However, these arguments were ultimately unsuccessful.
The court also heard that Washington had confessed to police, admitting to taking explicit photos of students and to having a role-play fetish where he acted as "daddy" to girls in his home. School staff had previously noted inappropriate behaviour, such as prolonged hugs with students.
