Update: Coach Accused of Sexual Assault
Save Email Print
Updated: 5:48 PM Nov 19, 2009
Update: Coach Accused of Sexual Assault
A well-known soccer coach and trainer accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl bonded out of jail Thursday evening.
Posted: 5:48 PM Nov 19, 2009
Reporter: Roger Hamer, Brian Mastre
Email Address: sixonline@wowt.com
width:200 and height: 120 and picwidth: 200 and pciheight: 120
Font Size:

A well-known soccer coach and trainer accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl bonded out of jail Thursday evening.

29-year old Jason Dishman posted $5,000 or 10% of his $50,000 bond and walked out of Douglas County Jail just after 5pm. He declined to comment.

Earlier in the day, Judge Darryl Lowe told Dishman he was not to have any contact with young people, especially females, in any athletic setting should he post bail.

Dishman's attorney Steve Lefler told Judge Lowe Dishman was a successful soccer player, coach and trainer.

Lefler said Dishman worked with thousands of aspiring soccer players --- both male and female --- during his career as a coach and trainer.

Others in the local soccer community tell Channel Six News Dishman was widely known, well-respected as a coach and trainer and had a "distinguished background."

Lefler called the charge an isolated incident, adding that Dishman was deserving of a relatively low bond for a first degree sexual assault change.

“Typically that indicates to me that if you are a jerk, you are going to be a jerk consistently throughout the course of your life,” Lefler said. “If at this particular age the only complaint that's been lodged against him that just raises my eyebrow and I'd like to investigate a little bit further to see if these charges are well founded or they're not."

The judge disagreed citing the seriousness of the accusation.

Judge Lowe's stipulations restrict Dishman from any contact with children, especially females, in any athletic setting at all.

At one point the judge said "he won't be coaching any females...I can guarantee that."

"I really like Judge Lowe a lot and he's a great guy and a great judge,” Lefler said. “He probably can't stop somebody from doing it though my guess is if somebody were in charge of the accreditation board of who coaches, he'd probably say that you can't coach until we figure out what's going on."

A representative of the Elkhorn Soccer Club tells Channel Six News a background check was conducted on Dishman before he was allowed to work with children. That's a requirement by state law.

The club representative said ESC frequently goes one step further by conducting random background checks on its coaches and employees.

Nothing in Dishman's background check indicated he might pose a danger to children.

Dishman will next appear in District Court. No court date has yet been set.


Special Sections