Former coach James Hugh Stehlin Jr. sentenced before Judge Swope

Aug. 17—PRINCETON — A former coach who pleaded guilty last June to sending obscene materials to his former students was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison and informed that he must register for life as a sex offender and lived under strict supervision for 25 years.

James Hugh Stehlin Jr., 36, of Edenton, N.C., and formerly of Princeton, was brought before Circuit Court Judge Derek Swope for sentencing. Stehlin pleaded guilty June 21 to two counts of sending obscene matter with the intent to seduce a minor.

Stehlin was arrested in North Carolina on Aug. 11, 2021, on Mercer County warrants for three counts of sending obscene matter with the intent to seduce a minor, and later indicted by the February 2022 Mercer County Grand Jury.

The victims were students at Princeton Middle School when Stehlin taught there, according to a criminal complaint filed by Detective-Lieutenant S.A. Sommers of the Mercer County Sheriff's Department. The crimes occurred years later when the victims were older and Stehlin had moved out of state.

According to Sommers's complaint, one victim said that about June 2020, Stehlin added her and several other juveniles to Snapchat and Facebook. The girls knew him as a previous teacher and accepted his friend requests.

"After adding them, Mr. Stehlin would make comments through Facebook Messenger and Snapchat about how they looked and how 'grown up' they have become," Sommers said in the complaint.

Then, between June and July 2020, Stehlin sent obscene matter to the juveniles through Snapchat and Facebook Messenger, Sommers stated.

Stehlin was not employed by Mercer County Schools when these crimes occurred, according to Prosecuting Attorney Brian Cochran.

"The victims were young girls here in Mercer County," Cochran told the court. "They do believe he should be sentenced to the maximum term in the penitentiary."

Students are supposed to be able to trust their teachers, but the victims have said that their bonds with teachers will never be the same after this incident, Cochran added. Based on the facts and the interruptions of the victims' lives, he asked the two five-year terms Stehlin faced be set to run consecutively, and that he face a maximum of 30 to 50 years of supervision.

With good behavior, Stehlin could serve his sentence in five years, so 30 to 50 years of supervision would be appropriate, Cochran said.

None of the victims attended the sentencing Tuesday. Parents were in the courtroom, but they declined to make any statements.

Attorney J.J. McPherson, who represented Stehlin, asked the court to consider alternative sentencing. Stehlin agreed that he "broke the public's trust and used his position to engage in this activity," and interfered in the victims' lives.

"He's already served a year in jail under the nightmarish conditions that Southern Regional (Jail) seems to be in right now," McPherson said. "His life will never be the same."

Prior to the obscene matter offenses, Stehlin "had no criminal record whatsoever," McPherson said, adding that he had read the sex offender evaluation and that Stehlin had a moderate risk of recidivism. The report suggested that he undergo therapy for sexual addiction. McPherson also asked the court to consider that Stelhin serve his pair of five-year sentences concurrently.

Stehlin stood when asked if he had anything to say.

"First and foremost, it's very, very saddening to be in front of you today and have to apologize," he said. "I do want to apologize to the families and the children. I'm sorry for what I did and I never should have done what I did."

Stehlin said he "had an issue" and also wanted to apologize to the community.

"They were always good to me, and I'm sorry I broke their trust," he said.

Judge Swope sentenced Stehlin to serve consecutive five-year terms in prison. He could discharge the sentence in four years. Swope also said that he thought Stehlin needed lengthy sex offender treatment.

Swope also ordered that Stehlin remain under extended supervision for 25 years. The terms of this supervision include occasional polygraph tests as well as terms such as searches of his cellphones and internet history. He could be sent back to prison for any violations.

"He could go back and do 25 years with no good time," Swope said.

Stehlin must remain under lifetime sex offender registration. Swope informed him that the requirements will be rigorous, and that he must keep the West Virginia State Police informed about any changes in his addresses, workplace, travel or crimes.

"If you get arrested for anything, even a traffic ticket, you must notify them within three days," Swope said.

Stehlin was remanded back to the Southern Regional Jail.

"Our community and our kids trusted Mr. Stehlin and he betrayed that trust," Cochran said later. "Although he was not employed by Mercer County Schools at the time of his crimes, the court's sentence was appropriate and is what my office and the child victims asked for."

"I would like to personally thank the Mercer County Sheriff's Office and Child Protect of Mercer County for their outstanding work on this case," Cochran said. "We are all working hard and working together as a team to do our best to protect the children of Mercer County."

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com

Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com