Redmond lacrosse club asst. coach in court on abuse charges
A 22-year-old Redmond man who was an assistant coach for a Redmond youth lacrosse club made his first court appearance Wednesday, one week after his arrest on charges he had sexual contact with at least one underage female.
Dakota Wayne Harless has been charged with two counts of third-degree rape, third-degree sodomy and second-degree sexual abuse and a single count of contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor, Deschutes County Jail records show.
“Harless had initial contact with the victim when he served as an assistant coach for a Redmond lacrosse club team,” said Redmond police Lt. Mike Kidwell. The investigation is continuing, the lieutenant said, asking the public and media to “use discretion as the case is sensitive in nature, considering the age of the victims.”
On Wednesday, Harless appeared in court by video. The judge set bail at $50,000 and scheduled his next court date for April 15 at 1:30 p.m.
The Redmond School District said in a statement: “The Redmond Lacrosse team is a community club sport. As a Tier III activity, it is not sponsored or managed by the Redmond School District. Tier III activities are independently organized and funded, and independently employ coaches and volunteers.”
The club is run by a board of parents and volunteers. Harless was a volunteer assistant coach for the boys club. The team said it has a strict code of conduct and specifically assigned a woman coach to the girl’s club.
“Last year, he was a volunteer coach and prior to that he played for Redmond Lacrosse. So he’s somebody that we knew and had a long history with,” parent and board member Leslie Toll said Wednesday.
Toll has a background in human resources and said she did a full background check on Harless before bringing him on as a volunteer.
Several parents told NewsChannel 21 that as soon as the head coaches heard there was something suspicious going on between Harless and a female player, they reported it to police. Harless was removed from all coaching duties two days prior to his arrest.
The lacrosse season officially starts Saturday. The club said it is trying to keep spirits up during this difficult time.
