P.K. Yonge assistant coach fired, accused of sex battery on minor
An assistant sports coach at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School had his employment terminated last week after he was charged with two counts of sexual battery and sexual molestation of a victim less than 12.
P.K. Yonge Director and Superintendent Brian Marchman informed parents in a letter Friday that William Voelker, 64, an assistant coach for the Blue Wave's cross country team, was arrested earlier in the day by Alachua County Sheriff's Office deputies.
Records show he was booked into the Alachua County Jail on Friday at 10:10 a.m. His bond was set at $400,000.
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The Gainesville Sun obtained a copy of the arrest report but is not revealing any details about the victim as to protect their identity, which is standard policy in cases of sexual abuse. The victim estimated that the abuse took place over a year ago.
The letter says Voelker, who had coached at the school since August 2021, was immediately placed on administrative leave and removed from campus on Oct. 16 after the school was informed of the sheriff's office's investigation.
"The safety and well-being of our students is of the utmost importance to our PK family. I wanted to assure you that our administrators acted swiftly and according to established protocols, and we are working with investigators to facilitate their ongoing investigation," Marchman wrote.
Voelker also was issued a trespass order and is barred from all University of Florida properties, including P.K. Yonge, which is part of the university.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: P.K. Yonge coach accused of sexual assault of young child
