Trial set for coach charged after Ohio rape case
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (AP) – A former volunteer coach whose home was allegedly the scene of a drinking party that preceded the rape by two Ohio high school football players is set for trial in the spring.
Matthew Belardine and three others are charged with trying to thwart the investigation into the August 2012 rape of a 16-year-old West Virginia girl by two Steubenville football players. He has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor counts including making a false statement and contributing to underage alcohol consumption.
A spokesman for Ohio’s attorney general tells the Steubenville Herald-Star that Belardine’s trial is now scheduled for April 22.
The district’s superintendent, technology director and another coach have also pleaded not guilty. All four were indicted following a grand jury investigation.