Former Canton High Coach Gets Probation

CANTON, MI — A former Canton High School coach who pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conduct in May in connection with a relationship he had with an underage girl has been sentenced to probation. Eric Christopher Locke, 20, was sentenced Thursday Wayne County Circuit Court.

Locke, who was originally scheduled for sentencing last month, pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct in May. He could have received up to 15 years in prison.

Earlier, Locke claimed that he believed the teenage girl was of legal age. He met the girl on the Tinder dating website. In exchange for his plea on third degree criminal sexual misconduct, the prosecutor’s office agreed to dismiss two other counts.

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Locke was an assistant coach for the Canton High boys varsity hockey team, the Canton Observer reported. A Canton High School Resource Officer received information earlier this year regarding a potential relationship between Locke and the teen. A subsequent Canton Police investigation led to Locke’s arrest in March.

Locke had a sexual relationship with a female student, who was 15-years-old, between November 2015 and February 2016, the Detroit News reported. Locke’s attorney, Raymond Cassar, told the newspaper that the probation sentence was a vindication, of sorts, for his client, who maintained that the girl, now 16, was not truthful about her age during the relationship.

File photo