DETROIT – A former Detroit teacher and track coach has been sentenced for sexually assaulting a teen.
Prosecutors said Nathan Tedford assaulted an 18‑year‑old former student on May 29, 2025. Tedford was charged with two counts of fourth‑degree criminal sexual conduct involving coercion.
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Under the plea agreement, those two charges were dismissed, and he was sentenced to two years of probation on an aggravated assault charge on Feb. 26, 2026. He was also sentenced to 20 hours of community service, according to court documents.
The victim, who has cognitive delays, testified at a preliminary hearing in August 2025 that he had continued communicating with Tedford by text after leaving East English Village to finish school online. While on the team, he said, Tedford had been his track coach and had often given him rides to school and practice.
The teen testified he contacted Tedford in May to retrieve a necklace he had left in the coach’s car and to get Chipotle, a reward Tedford had promised if he did well in a race. The victim said Tedford picked him up, but instead of going to Chipotle, he brought the teen to his home, and sexually assaulted him.
Previous coverage: Detroit teacher accused of grooming teen with cognitive delay bound over to stand trial
At an Aug. 27, 2025, preliminary examination in 36th District Court, Judge Shawn K. Jacque found probable cause and bound Tedford over to stand trial on two counts of fourth‑degree criminal sexual conduct involving coercion. Tedford later accepted the plea deal and was sentenced to two years’ probation and community service.
Tedford was charged on June 16, 2025, and initially placed on paid leave. After being charged, he was placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. His bond was set at $30,000 and later increased to $50,000.