MONTGOMERY COUNTY — A former high school softball coach appeared in court for the first time since being indicted on almost four dozen charges related to sex crimes involving children.
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News Center 7’s John Bedell was in court for the arraignment. He’ll have the latest on the case tonight on News Center 7 at 6:00.
James Grubbs appeared by video from the Montgomery County Jail for his arraignment on Thursday.
During this time, his lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
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A judge set his bond at $50,000. He was previously being held on a $1.5 million bond.
Grubbs was ordered not to have internet access. He was also ordered not to have contact with the alleged victims or any minors.
News Center 7 spoke briefly with his attorney at his arraignment.
“We are aware that there are some investigative issues, constitutionally based, and we will be bringing those to (the) forefront,” Grubbs’ defense lawyer, Patrick Mulligan, told News Center 7.
As previously reported, Grubbs was a softball coach at Valley View Schools.
The district put Grubbs on leave at the end of April for an investigation into allegations that he was sending inappropriate texts to one of his players.
He resigned that same day.
“That investigation revealed that the defendant coach had multiple exchanges with the minor victim, and in effect was grooming her,” Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck, Jr. previously said.
Grubbs has been charged with one count of grooming in connection with that probe.
On Monday, prosecutors revealed that once police got hold of Grubbs’ phone, the investigation changed and “morphed into additional charges.”
Montgomery County prosecutors said Grubbs installed hidden cameras and took images of other minor girls in what they described as “various states of nudity.”
Charging documents show this happened over a four-month period last year.
Prosecutors said those additional victims were known to Grubbs but were not related to Valley View local schools.
Grubbs was indicted on dozens more charges, including 30 counts related to child pornography and another 14 counts of voyeurism.
Grubbs remains booked in the Montgomery County Jail at the time of this report.
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