Junior High Coach Pursued Sexual Relationship With Student

CBS (CHICAGO)--A volunteer basketball coach at a junior high school in south suburban Peotone is accused of "grooming" a student for a sexual relationship, according to the Will County State's Attorney's office.

"Grooming" means an adult prepares an underage person for eventual sexual contact.

The coach, 50-year-old Samuel Burks, was found guilty of two counts of grooming on Monday. He's facing up to 10 years as a registered sex offender and up to three years in prison.

Burks allegedly asked a female player on the school basketball team for nude photos and texted her graphic messages back in 2016, according to the State's Attorney.

The girl's mother discovered what was going on after she saw her daughter getting into his vehicle and decided to check the girl's phone.

Burks was named a Junior High Girls Coach of the Year by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association in 2015 for his work with seventh-graders.

Peotone Community Unit School District 207-U serves students from the south, central and eastern region of Will County, and a small portion of northwestern Kankakee County.

His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 6.