Federal grand jury indicts Alabama prep coach on sex-related charges; state charges pending

Alabama prep coach indicted on sex-related charges

OXFORD, Miss. — A federal grand jury has indicted an Alabama high school football coach on charges of child molestation and trying to get the victim to lie to authorities about the alleged incidents.

The grand jury on Thursday indicted Dwight Bowling on one count of harassing a witness and four counts of coercing a minor into having sex, court records show.

The indictment released in Oxford came one day after prosecutors produced transcripts from taped conversations in which they say Bowling encouraged one of the alleged victims to lie about whether they’d had had a sexual relationship.

Court documents show investigators secretly recorded conversations between Bowling and one teenager less than two weeks ago.

Bowling faces a maximum life sentence if convicted.