Chesco youth coach, ex-teacher waives hearing on sex assault rap

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William Lee Rhoads, the former Villa Maria school teacher and Little League coach arrested on charges he sexually assaulted four young boys, on Thursday waived his right to a preliminary hearing, a signal that he may plead guilty rather than seek a trial.

Rhoads shuffled into District Magisterial Judge Theodore Michael’s courtroom in leg irons and handcuffs, guarded by two state constables who brought him to court from the Chester County Prison, where he has been held on $5 million bail since his arrest Sept. 19. He was accompanied by his attorney, Curt Norcini of West Chester.

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The 70-year-old retiree from Charlestown did not speak during the brief hearing, simply listening to Norcini and Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth B. Pitts discuss terms of his bail.

Chester County Detectives last month charged Rhoads with multiple counts of rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, possession of child pornography, and related crimes.

The allegations concern assaults Rhoads is said to have committed on four young boys over a period of years. The assaults allegedly occurred inside Rhoads’ home.

At a preliminary hearing the prosecution is obligated to put on enough evidence to establish that a crime has been committed and the defendant is responsible. Usually, the victim in an assault case would testify, however briefly.

In child abuse cases, many times the prosecution will take into account whether the defendant had forced his or her victims to testify in public about what happened to them in fashioning a sentencing offer.

In this case Rhoads, through Norcini, agreed to forgo his right to such a hearing, although he could still demand a trial at some future date. Although he declined to discuss the case at the end of Thursday’s proceedings, Norcini did mention to Michaels that part of his discussion with Pitts about the waiver had been whether her office would oppose a reduction in bail from $5 million to $3 million.

Pitts told Michaels that although she would not oppose such a move, she would insist that strict conditions be put on Rhoads if he were to make bail, including that he be placed on electronic home monitoring. Michael, suggesting that only a Common Pleas Court judge might have the authority to order home monitoring, rejected the motion to reduce bail.

Rhoads was led from the courtroom and back to prison.

He was taken into custody at his home after returning from an overseas vacation last month with his wife. Chester County Detective Sgt. Jeff Gordon, assigned to the county District Attorney’s Child Abuse Unit, said in a criminal complaint that he began the investigation into Rhoads after being informed of a report by the county Department of Children, Youth and Families on Sept. 9 that Rhoads had sexually assaulted a 4-year-old boy.

Gordon subsequently interviewed an 11-year-old boy who said that Rhoads had assaulted him at his home over a period of time from 2007 to this summer. Two other alleged victims were also interviewed this month, including a 15 year-old and a 10-year-old. Both said they had been sexually assaulted by Rhoads over a period of years.

The 11-year-old and the 15-year-old also told police that Rhoads had videotaped the assaults using a camera that he propped up on books in a room in his home. The 11-year-old said that Rhoads told him that he enjoyed watching the videos, according to the arrest affidavit.

A search of Rhoads’ home resulted in the seizure of numerous items, including 12 videotapes. The complaint stated that Rhoads had at least 60 video recordings of his sexual acts with the victims.

Rhoads, a retired mechanical engineer, taught at Villa Maria Academy in Malvern for 14 years, from 1992 to 2006. He was also a coach with the Kimberton Youth Athletic League.

The school, a Catholic private school for girls, noted that his alleged victims were all boys and that he had passed background police checks during his tenure there. Authorities said the athletic league had terminated his association with it after being notified of his arrest.

Gordon, who attended the proceeding Thursday, said that thus far no other people had come forward to say that they had been molested by Rhoads.

Anyone with more information is asked to call the Chester County Detectives at 610-344-6866.

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