'It Brought Tears to My Eyes': Alleged Grooming Victim On Former Wetumka Athletic Director Arrested, Charged With Child Sexual Abuse

A former Noble High School soccer player is reflecting on a year-long journey that led to the arrest of an alleged abuser.

Exactly one year ago, Casey Yochum went public with grooming allegations against his former coach and teacher, Brent McGee.

“When I was notified about Brent McGee’s arrest, it brought tears to my eyes,” Yochum said in an exclusive interview with News 9.

Yochum says his battle began over 30 years ago on the Noble High School soccer team.

Brent McGee was the head coach there until he moved to Wetumka in 1997 and became the athletic director of Wetumka Public Schools.

“Everybody trusted him, and everybody gave him good praise,” Yochum said.

Yochum claims McGee groomed and molested him for years in Noble, allegedly demanding sexual favors from Yochum in return for financial support.

“If you continue to fight for justice and the right thing, you'll win in the end,” Yochum said.

On Aug. 21, Hughes County Sheriff's deputies arrested McGee, and he was charged with 7 counts of child sexual abuse and one felony count of a pattern of criminal offenses.

When Yochum decided to seek justice last year, the statute of limitations had passed for him, which inspired him to take his story public in search of other possible victims.

"You have a voice, and it matters. Doesn't matter how old or how young you are,” Yochum said.

He says he's heard countless survivors' stories and had at least 3 more alleged victims come forward against Brent McGee.

“Now, since the arrest, I’ve had probably close to ten tell me about their stories and how they're going to go forward and what steps do they need to take? So not only have I helped one person, I’ve helped quite a few people, which I never saw that coming,” he said.

Yochum also helped champion House Bill 3958, a piece of legislation requiring a parent to be included in any communication between kids and their coaches and teachers, which took effect on July 1st.

“Every day that I get to tell my story, it just rips open every wound again, all over again. But I will shed as many tears as possible if that's what it takes to start changing the legislation and allow us to move forward and allow us to have our kids not be victims at school,” Yochum said.

He’s now an educator and a coach himself and says that his journey is far from over.

Yochum plans to continue spreading awareness of the signs of grooming and advocating for more legislation to protect students from predators.

Brent McGee is due back in court in Hughes County on October 1.

The Hughes County District Attorney says the investigation is still ongoing and encourages anyone with information to come forward.