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PROVO — A former private school instructor and coach accused of having sexual relationships with two female students has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.
Broch Clyde DeGraff, 28, pleaded guilty to six counts of attempted forcible sexual abuse, which was amended from a second-degree felony to a third-degree felony, in 4th District Court Tuesday. The man was originally facing a total of 10 charges, including forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony, and three counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.
Those four charges were dismissed in exchange for DeGraff's plea.
DeGraff was teaching kindergarten and coaching boys and girls soccer at Liahona Preparatory Academy when the allegations were reported to Pleasant Grove police. The relationships apparently started with text messages and escalated to late-night meetings, police said.
Police say DeGraff fondled and sexually abused the two 16-year-old girls during separate relationships he carried on, one after the other, between October 2011 and June 2012. Some of the sexual acts occurred at Liahona Preparatory Academy and property adjacent to the school, while others took place at DeGraff's home in Pleasant Grove, according to a police affidavit.
DeGraff was fired by Liahona Preparatory Academy, a private school for students in kindergarten through 12th grade that bases its curriculum on values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in light of the allegations, school officials said.
DeGraff's father, Brent, owns the school.
Sentencing in the case has been set for April 16.
