Chicago youth basketball coach charged with persuading teen to send him sexually explicit videos
A Chicago youth basketball coach has been arrested on child pornography charges, accused of convincing a teenager to send him sexually explicit videos.
Eric Courts, 41, has been charged with one count of solicitation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Courts, a representative of adidas Legacy, a high school basketball program in underserved communities, gave a 17-year-old at Crane High School a pair of basketball shoes in exchange for videos of the victim engaging in sex acts, according to a Chicago Police Department arrest report.
After the teen sent Courts three videos, Courts promised additional exclusive clothing to the victim in return for more videos and images.
Courts was arrested on Wednesday after the victim came forward and identified him. Evidence of the videos was found on his phone, according to Cook County prosecutors.
At his first court appearance on Saturday, a judge ordered Courts to be held at Cook County Jail while he awaits trial, after prosecutors argued electronic monitoring would not be sufficient to keep tabs on his interactions with other children.
Prosecutors said Courts also tried to manipulate witnesses in the case and have them destroy evidence.
Police said there might be other victims, and asked anyone with information on other victims to contact the CPD Special Investigations Unit at 312-492-3810.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson for adidas Legacy said they have cut ties with Courts:
"We are aware of the arrest of Eric Courts and take the allegations against him very seriously. The deeply upsetting behavior alleged in these reports is in direct opposition to everything we stand for at adidas Legacy. We have terminated our contractor relationship, effective immediately."