Grosse Pointe South High School hockey coach accused of sexual assault
Hockey coach accused of sexual assault on boat
Coach Benjamin Warda has some serious explaining to do, as FOX 2 was told there's video evidence against him that led to criminal sexual charges. The 38-year-old is the boys varsity hockey coach at Grosse Pointe South High School. He was charged Thursday in St. Clair Shores with criminal sexual conduct, third degree. That charge is described as sexual penetration.
GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. (FOX 2) - From the ice to the interrogation room, a local hockey coach is in serious trouble after getting accused of sexual assault.
Big picture view:
FOX 2 was told there's video evidence against Coach Benjamin Warda that led to criminal sexual charges.
The 38-year-old is the boys varsity hockey coach at Grosse Pointe South High School. He was charged Thursday in St. Clair Shores with criminal sexual conduct, third degree. That charge is described as sexual penetration.
The assault allegedly happened on a boat docked at a marina in St. Clair Shores earlier in June. The Grosse Pointe Public School System says he's no longer affiliated with their athletic program.
Dig deeper:
Although Warda does coach high school students, the alleged victim is not underage.
"Victims of crime, especially sexual assault, do not want to come forward. The ones that do, they're brave, they're heroes, and I sincerely mean that. Just the filing of these charges reflects the determination that the evidence is going to support what we intend to prove," said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido.
What's next:
Warda was given a $50,000 cash bond with no 10%. That means he'd have to pay the full amount to get out of police custody. This CSC charge carries a penalty of 15 years behind bars if convicted.