CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. — A former high school football coach has been charged with the sexual abuse of a child for two years.
The Chester County District Attorney's Office announced the arrest of Kenneth Walls, 77, from Downingtown for the sexual abuse of a now 12-year-old from 2020 to 2022.
Walls has been charged with multiple counts of aggravated indecent assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and related charges. He is currently at Chester County Prison on $100,000 cash bail.
Walls was a former staff football coach at Downingtown West High School and recently volunteered as a coach for the football team.
According to the criminal complaint, on Nov. 3 Chester County Detectives learned that a 12-year-old victim told a staff member in another county that the defendant has been sexually abusing her for the past two years.
The victim reportedly told investigators that the sexual abuse happened at the defendant's house in Downingtown.
Detectives discovered that the victim sometimes stayed at Walls' house and that he had bought her a cell phone, hoverboard, and ear pods.
The victim told police that the defendant took her out for meals, shopping and to fairs or carnivals. Additionally, she alleged to police that he would call and text her multiple times a week.
"The defendant engaged in a common pattern of child predators: he lavished the child with gifts, took her shopping, and made her feel special. In fact, he was grooming her and her family by duping them into thinking he was a kind and generous man," said District Attorney Deb Ryan.
Downingtown Area School District Superintendent Robert O’Donnell said in a statement, “Each day that parents send their children to school, they entrust our district with their safety. As a district, we take that responsibility seriously and will continue to work with our staff, students, families, law enforcement and community to maintain a safe educational environment for all children.”
Chester County Detectives are currently investigating.
A preliminary hearing has been set for Nov. 16.
