PEORIA, Ariz. — A former Peoria High School and basketball coach has been found not guilty of sexual misconduct allegations dating back to 2006.
William Roberts III was acquitted of all charges Thursday after the jury delivered its verdict in Maricopa County Superior Court. He had been indicted for six counts of sexual conduct with a minor, a Class 6 felony, which allegedly occurred between 2006 and 2013.
Roberts testified the sexual contact occurred after the alleged victims had turned 18.
The educator resigned from Peoria High in 2020.
The man who took over Roberts' coaching job is now facing criminal charges for separate offenses.
Patrick "Mr. ORNG" Battillo was recently arrested after he allegedly offered students money in exchange for explicit videos and photos.
UP TO SPEED
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.