A part-time basketball coach at Coronado High School who was arrested last week and accused of being in an “inappropriate relationship” with a female student pleaded not guilty to sex crimes charges Monday.
The Coronado Police Department confirmed Coronado resident Jordan Bucklew, 34, was taken into custody on suspicion of sex crimes with a minor. He was booked into San Diego County Jail Feb. 3.
He pleaded not guilty Monday to four sex crime charges involving a minor, one of which was a felony.
If convicted on all counts, Bucklew could face up to three years in prison. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 12.
Bucklew is currently out on bail but has been ordered to stay away from children.
NBC 7 confirmed Bucklew was an assistant coach for the girl's varsity basketball team and also coached track.
Coronado police said officers were first alerted of an “inappropriate relationship” between Bucklew and a Coronado High School student on the night of Jan. 31.
Local
“Detectives worked through the weekend investigating the case,” the Coronado Police Department said in a Facebook post.
That investigation led to Bucklew’s arrest.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on this case – or any potential additional victims – can call Det. Jade Gutzmer at (619) 522-6458.
Coronado High School is part of the Coronado Unified School District. Located at 650 D. Ave, the campus serves approximately 1,160 students and is the only high school on Coronado Island.
NBC 7 reached out to the Coronado Unified School District for comment on the case. The district released this message:
“The collective focus and priority of the Coronado Unified School District is teaching and learning while nurturing a safe and supportive environment for those within our shared community. Allegations have been made against a Coronado Unified School District staff member.
The District takes such claims very seriously. When the allegations became known, the District followed policy and protocol including cooperation with Coronado Police Department to protect the safety and security of District students and staff.”
The district said that because this is a personnel-related issue, it had no further comment.
NBC 7 obtained court documents that showed Bucklew had a felony charge filed against him in April 2009 for distributing a controlled substance near a school in South Lewis County, Missouri.
NBC 7 reached out to the clerk's office in South Lewis County Wednesday and the office confirmed that the 2009 case had been dismissed.
Editor's Note: NBC 7 initially reported that Bucklew had been on parole at the time of his arrest in San Diego. We have since learned that his previous case was dismissed.
