The Clarke County Sheriff is asking for exemptions in a gag order issued in the case of a coach accused of having sex with a student.
Rob Carter, the head football coach at Clarke County High School, was arrested on four counts of school employee sex act, four counts of distributing obscene material, and three counts of soliciting sex with a student.
District Judge James Harding Morgan, Jr. issued the gag order prohibiting anyone connected to the case, including law enforcement, attorneys, witnesses and government personnel from releasing information or making statements publicly.
“All attorneys, parties, witnesses, law enforcement personnel, prosecution personnel, defense personnel, court personnel and any governmental personnel, who are connected to the prosecution or investigation of this case are prohibited from extra judicially releasing information in any form, including, but not limited to, newspaper or television interviews or Facebook or social media comments to anyone, including but not limited to, agents or employees of any news media of any format, concerning any aspect of these proceedings,” the order states.
Sheriff DeWayne Smith responded with a motion requesting an exemption to be allowed to notify the parents of the victim in the event Carter posts bond and is released from jail.
“I make this request on behalf of the victim's parents,” a letter from Smith states. “It is my belief this is a reasonable request on their behalf and would not damage the case or the District Attorney's Office in any way.”
Smith made a second request for an exception to the gag order to allow him to answer simple information requests on records that are considered public information. He said examples of those records would include whether Carter is in jail and what warrants or charges have been executed.
“This is normal information that our office provides on all other inmates with the exception of juvenile suspects,” Smith wrote.
Carter is considered innocent until proven guilty.
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