Wednesday, March 8th 2023, 5:17 pm
A metro cheerleading coach has been criminally charged after an investigation revealed a five-year long sexual relationship with a high school student.
News 9 obtained court documents filed by Oklahoma City Police and the Cleveland County District Attorney this week.
Prosecutors charged 45-year-old Jennifer Hawkins with one count of second-degree rape and sexual battery.
Hawkins was a long-time cheerleading coach for Westmoore High School, Brink Middle School and the University of Central Oklahoma.
Police were notified in January of the alleged sexual misconduct between Hawkins and the victim.
Police said the victim sent a detailed letter to Moore Public School officials about his five-year long sexual relationship with Hawkins. The victim said it started when he was 17 years old and still in high school.
According to court documents, Hawkins first denied the sexual relationship to school officials but then admitted she made a mistake and confessed to having a sexual relationship with the victim.
Hawkins and the victim claimed many of the sexual encounters happened at the coach's home. She said the student even lived in her family's home for several years.
Moore Public Schools sent News 9 a statement in January after Hawkins was terminated and UCO officials stated Hawkins resigned citing personal reasons.
Jennifer Pierce is an Emmy-award-winning reporter for News 9 and has been on staff since 2017. While most days, she covers crime in the metro and court cases, she enjoys telling the stories of Native Americans in Oklahoma. Jennifer is a proud member of the Choctaw Nation. She takes pride in the success her tribe and the many other tribes in Oklahoma have gained in recent years.
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