News

Former Little League coach arrested

Jonathan Shawn Russell

By Bill Moss, Published: January 28, 2015

The Henderson County Sheriff's office on Tuesday arrested a 33-year-old former Little League coach on four counts of misdemeanor assault for allegedly spanking boys under the age of 12 inappropriately, the sheirff's office said in a news release.

Deputies arrested Jonathan Shawn Russell, 33, of 54 Brookside Drive in Hendersonville on Tuesday and charged him with the offense. It was unclear whether the boys were members of a team Russell coached. The offenses took place between Aug. 1 last year and this week, according to warrants. Warrants charged that Russell pulled down the boys' pants and underwear before the spankings at his home. The warrants said two 9-year-olds and one 8-year-old were victims.

Russell turned himself in to the Henderson County magistrates office and is currently free on $4,000 bond and scheduled to appear in Henderson County District Court on Feb. 20.

As investigators continue their work on the case, they urged anyone with information to contact the sheriff's office and Detective Tonya Reeves at 828-694-2796.