Published: September 14, 2007 09:48 pm      

Ex-coach sentenced for explicit text messages

The former head coach of a middle school girls’ basketball team will spend one to three years in prison after pleading guilty to sending an 11-year-old team member explicit cell phone text messages, court officials said.

Shariff Mills, 32, of Beckley, received the sentence from Raleigh County Circuit Judge John Hutchison Friday morning. Mills pleaded guilty in May to one count of attempting to use a minor in sexually explicit conduct.

Mills is the former head coach of the Beckley-Stratton Middle School girls’ basketball team.

Mills must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life once he is released from prison.

During Mills’ May plea hearing, assistant prosecutor Tom MacAulay said a Raleigh County Board of Education employee received a cell phone belonging to the 11-year-old girl. Upon reviewing contents of the phone, several messages originating from Mills’ phone were discovered to be of a sexual nature. After Mills was arrested and interviewed, he admitted sending the texts.

Mills then told Hutchison he was guilty of sending the messages.

Mills’ sentencing was originally scheduled for Aug. 27, but it was delayed when Gary Frasher, Mills’ public defender, said he needed more time to review a psychiatrist’s report on his client.