Trial To Begin For Basketball Coach Who Abused Young Girls: Chesco DA

WEST CHESTER, PA — A local basketball coach who police said sexually abused multiple young girls in Chester County will face a jury trial in the coming weeks.

Zachary Ray, 31, of Wynnewood, committed the abuse of three children, aged 10 to 16, over a period of nine years from 2014 to 2023, the Chester County District Attorney's Office said.

He was arrested on Sept. 20, 2023, was freed on 25 percent of $250,000 bail, and then formally arraigned on Dec. 14, court documents show. His trial is set for March 12 in West Chester.

The incidents occurred at schools, parks, and at homes of victims in Chester County while he was their coach, indicating that he used his position of authority to assist him in his crimes, police said.

All the alleged victims said Ray would take off their clothes to do a "core check," or stretch them while touching their genitals, the DA said. He then used his cell phone to photograph them, officials said.

He faces hundreds of counts of multiple charges, including child pornography, aggravated indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, and more.

With reporting from Patch correspondent Max Bennett