Local News

Mother speaks out about son's relationship with Pine Forest basketball coach

​A former assistant basketball coach at Pine Forest High School in Fayetteville was charged Monday with sexual abuse of a teenager, police said.

Posted Updated

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A former assistant basketball coach at Pine Forest High School in Fayetteville was charged Monday with sexual abuse of a teenager, police said.

Rodney Scott, 50, of the 2300 block of Vestal Avenue, was charged Monday with two counts of statutory sex offense with a child in connection with an alleged assault of a 14-year old boy at Scott’s home Sunday.

Police said Tuesday that they are investigating dozens of new allegations of abuse, some of which date back to the 1990s. No new charges have been filed.

The mother of the child told WRAL News that her son played basketball for Scott starting in 2013, when he was 12-years-old. She said Scott was a mentor for her son and didn’t think twice about allowing him to go on overnight basketball trips, or spending a night at the coach’s house.

“When he would stay over there, he’d fall asleep on the couch, which is normal,” she said. “Coach Scott would wake him up and tell him to come get in the bed with him. He would make my son sleep in the bed with him; he would rub my son’s feet.”

The child’s mother—who asked to remain anonymous—told WRAL News that she wanted to come forward with his story to encourage other parents to reach out if their child was abused.

"What the detective told me was that my son was a victim," she said. "But my son won't give them details."

Scott volunteered as a boys’ varsity basketball assistant coach at Pine Forest High from 2013 until this past January, according to Cumberland County School officials. He also worked as a safe schools coordinator at Pine Forest High School from August 2011 to June 2013 and as a substitute teacher from 1997 to 2010.

The boy’s mother said Scott told her that he saw talent in the child that could send him to college on a basketball scholarship and possibly a future in the National Basketball Association.

"All you want is for your kid to succeed," she said. "If somebody tells you that they have talent and they can make it, you're all in."

Scott remains in the Cumberland County jail under a $100,000 secured bond.

Fayetteville police have set up a dedicated phone line to encourage other possible victims to come forward. Anyone who believes he or she is a victim or anyone who knows someone they believe has been the victim of a sexual assault or other crime involving Scott is asked to call 910-433-1163.

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.