CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The former varsity baseball coach at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor was sentenced Thursday for trying to meet up with an underage child to have sex, police said.
Gerald Holley, 57, was arrested in October in Clinton Township after undercover detectives said they tabbed him as a child sexual predator on social media.
Holley was a biology teacher and had coached the varsity baseball team since 1995, according to the Pioneer High School athletics site.
"Gerald Holley is an employee of the Ann Arbor Public Schools and is on administrative leave," Ann Arbor Public Schools said in a statement. "As this is a personnel matter, we have no further comment."
Holley was sentenced Thursday to two to 10 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections. He must register as a sex offender and comply with the sex offender registry, officials said.
Holley arrested after Macomb County Sheriff's Office investigation
An undercover Macomb County Sheriff's Office detective said he had online conversations with Holley, who he said requested to have sexual relations with an underage child.
On Oct. 11, 2017, they arranged to meet up, and the man expected to engage in sexual activity with an underage child, the detective said.
Holley traveled to the agreed location and was arrested, officials said.
"This is one of the many reasons we run a computer crimes unit," Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said. "In order to protect our children, these highly trained investigators continuously monitor the internet as well as social media platforms to find these predators."
Holley was charged with three felony counts of child sexually abusive activity and one felony count of using a computer to communicate with another to commit a crime.
"As often occurs in cases such as this, this man pursued a career which surrounded him with young people," Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith said. "I urge parents to remain vigilant of all those who supervise their children, even longstanding 'authority' figures. The predators are out there, and they make it their business to get right next to your kids."