Track coach convicted of sexually abusing athlete gets remaining cases dropped
The Miami Gardens track coach convicted of sexually abusing a 13-year-old female athlete — and accused of molesting several other girls — will soon be off to prison after prosecutors dropped the remaining charges against him.
Prosecutors announced their decision in the case of Darius Lawshea, 50, during a Tuesday morning hearing. The Miami Gardens Xpress track club founder faced a slew of charges in six other cases. The victims in all the cases were student-athletes in his track and field program, court records show.
Months earlier, a jury found Lawshea, known as “Coach D,” guilty — and Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Andrea Ricker Wolfson sentenced him to 50 years behind bars.
Prosecutors, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office told the Miami Herald, dropped the remaining charges after victims said they “were satisfied” with Lawshea’s sentence.
READ MORE: Miami Gardens track coach sentenced for sexually abusing teen athlete
“They advised the [prosecutor] that they did not wish to pursue the remaining cases,” the State Attorney’s Office said. “As a result, the cases were dropped...”
The first victim to come forward said she was abused in 2010 but didn’t report the abuse to police until a decade later because “she was fearful because Mr. Lawshea was loved by everyone in the community and she didn’t want to get into trouble.” She said she was pushed to report the abuse after discovering that Lawshea also molested her younger sister.
During the trial, prosecutor Lily Wisset said Lawshea abused his authority and stature as a community leader when he took advantage of girls he was coaching. Lawshea’s attorney, Ariel Lett, however, argued that the case was built on inconsistencies, with the testimony of victims “evolving” as time went on. Lett also pointed to the lack of physical evidence.
A victim, during Lawshea’s sentencing, recounted her trauma as she “watched her innocence taken by someone who was supposed to guide her.”
“A real coach protects you. A real coach respects boundaries. A real coach does not abuse power ... for their own benefit,” the victim said.
Before meting out Lawshea’s sentence, Judge Wolfson said the testimony presented in the trial showed Lawshea’s “egregious manipulation” of a young girl who believed he was the “key to her future.”
“Quite frankly, it sickens me,” the judge said.
