Staples Coach and Norwalk Resident Charged With Risk Of Injury To Minor

At 1:30 p.m. today, assistant coach Michael Pickering, 40, of Norwalk turned himself in at Westport Police Department. He was charged with three counts of risk of injury to a minor. He was issued a $50,000 bond. 

Since receiving initial the complaint members of the freshman football team have been interviewed with their parents by detectives and confirmed that they were given the password by the assistant coach to access the site, according to Westport Police Captain Sam Arciola.

A search warrant was obtained by Westport Police Department detectives last night and computers belonging to the assistant coach were seized for further investigation, Arciola said. The coach, under advice from his attorney, declined to be interviewed in connection with the complaint.

Today, an arrest warrant was completed by the Westport Police Department charging the assistant coach with Risk of Injury to a Minor, which states in part that “any person who willfully or unlawfully causes or permits any child under the age of sixteen years to be placed in such a situation that the…the morals of such a child are likely to be impaired, or does any act likely to impair the health or morals of any such child” has violated that statute, according to Arciola.

Original story:

The Westport Police Department is investigating reports of a Staples High School Football coach giving freshman the password to an adult website.

The Westport Police Department is investigating a report that one of the football coaches at Staples High School may have given freshman football players a password to a pornographic website, according to reports from Westport News.

This accusation comes on the heels of increased visibility about the behavior of football coaches following

An investigation began Wednesday after questions were raised by a news outlet, according to Westport Police Captain Sam Arciola. 

WestportNow reports that a statement from Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon went out to parents.

Staples Principal John Dodig said the school's preliminary investigation was quick and a decision to bring the matter to police was made hours after receiving information.

According to Dodig, WestportNow says, a freshman football coach is accused of giving access code information to some members of the freshman football team to the adult pornography site.

The administration removed the coach from duty immediately, he said.

Inklings, the Staples High School news outlet, reports Dodig said a student who was not a part of the football team overheard the information and reported it to a Staples staff member.