Ex-coach pleads guilty to lesser charges

HARTFORD, Ky. - A former high school basketball coach accused of sex abuse and sodomy involving three juveniles has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

Ohio County prosecutor Tim Coleman told the Messenger-Inquirer on Thursday that Terry Nofsinger pleaded guilty to a single count of unlawful transaction with a minor. Originally, Nofsinger had been charged with five counts of sodomy, nine counts of sexual abuse, 14 counts of unlawful transaction with a minor and one count of complicity.

Nofsinger coached girls' basketball at Ohio County High School when he was charged in 2010.

Coleman said the plea deal does not require prison time, but calls for Nofsinger to be on supervised parole for five years. In addition, it requires him to get counseling and forbids him from working at any school.

"We've consulted with the victims and felt it would be in their best interest to get this case resolved," Coleman said. "What the victims wanted, as much as anything, was to get (Nofsinger) away from other potential victims."

Coleman said: "I would say any plea is a compromise. I would have liked to have seen more, but I wanted to take the victims' concerns (into consideration); it would have been hard for the victims to get up (at trial) and discuss what happened."

Nofsinger is scheduled for formal sentencing on Oct. 4.