PORTAGE COUNTY, Ohio – A physical education teacher, who is also a trainer at a local elementary and high school, was prosecuted in court after being accused of trying to have sex with a 14-year-old using the social service app. Snapchat media, according to the Portage County Municipal Court.
Tyler Coia, 27, of Ravenna, is accused of asking a 14-year-old teenager to engage in sexual conduct on the app, court records show.
Investigators at the Portage County Sheriff’s Office said the case started with a complaint, but said they could not disclose further details about the case citing an ongoing investigation.
However, a department major told News 5 that he believes there are other victims out there and said the case involves at least two minors.
Coia is a physical education teacher at Glenwood Intermediate School in the Plain Local School District.
Plain Local Schools said Coia is on leave while the district is conducting an investigation. The district said it had no reason to believe that no Glenwood Intermediate students are currently involved.
Coia also has coaching assignments at Berkshire High School in Geauga County and James A. Garfield Middle School in Portage County, according to school board records.
Records show that Coia was hired as an assistant men’s soccer coach at Berkshire High School in June 2019 and as a men’s athletic trainer at James A. Garfield Middle School in January 2019.
Local schools in Berkshire confirmed that Coia was an assistant district football coach this fall and said that an FBI / BCI background check did not show any reported incidents at the time of his hiring. Local Berkshire schools said their coaching contract will not be renewed and there are no known incidents involving students in the district.
Local Schools James A. Garfield said Coia was hired as a running coach for high school boys last school year, but was “extremely limited in his time” with students due to the COVID-19 pandemic and did not work for the district in any role this school year. The district said it continues to cooperate with authorities on the matter.
The sheriff’s department declined to comment on whether or not any of the youth involved in the case were students Coia taught or trained.
Coia was accused of harassment, a third degree crime.
No one answered the door at Ravenna’s address listed as Coia’s home in court documents on Wednesday afternoon.
The preliminary hearing will be held on December 31 at 8:30 am