Abigail Margulis

amargulis@citizen-times.com

HENDERSONVILLE – A former Little League baseball coach charged with spanking the bare bottoms of four boys without their parents’ permission pleaded guilty in Henderson County Superior Court on Tuesday.

Investigators charged 33-year-old Jonathan Shawn Russell, of Hendersonville, with four misdemeanor counts of assault on a child under 12, saying the children were spanked by him at his residence.

A judge sentenced Russell to 60 days in the Henderson County jail followed by 18 months of supervised probation. He could have been ordered to spend up to 300 days in jail, according to Henderson County Superior Court Judge Bradley Letts.

The victims at the time ranged in ages from 8 to 9, according to arrest warrants. Russell was accused of “pulling down child victim’s pants and his underwear and spanking him on his buttocks multiple times with his hands,” according to warrants.

Three parents, a victim’s grandmother and one victim testified during trial.

“Coach Russell made me feel hurt,” the child said. “When he spanked me he made me feel ashamed because my family trusted him. He made my mom feel sad because he didn’t have her permission.”

The assaults happened between August 2014 and January 2015, according to warrants. All victims had been players on Russell's baseball team and were also friends of his son, according to a summary of evidence presented by District Attorney Greg Newman.

The boys would spend time at Russell's home, sometimes spending the night. On a few occasions, he punished the boys for misbehaving by taking them into a back bedroom where he locked the door, Newman said.

One victim was spanked on three occasions, and, following each spanking, Russell told the victim, "What happens at Coach Russell's house stays at Coach Russell's house," Newman said.

On another occasion with a different victim, Russell told a victim there was "no need to tell his parents because it only mattered to (Russell)," Newman said.

Four boys were assaulted over three years. Russell was a coach in the league for four years. The Henderson County Youth Baseball organization asked him to resign when the allegations surfaced.

A victim’s mother said in court she felt “helpless” when her son told her he had been spanked by Russell for saying “dang it.”

"I had no words for (my son) that would erase the fear and embarrassment that this man made him feel from this humiliating and sadistic manner," she said. “The acts of this man have left wounds that a Band-aid or doctors can’t heal."

When Russell took the stand, he told the families of those he abused he was wrong after allegations surfaced and was charged by authorities.

"I recognized the misapplication in the sense that these weren't my children and this wasn't my place," he said. "I never tried to hide it from their parents, but I didn't have their permission either.

"I'm sorry," he continued. "I want to seek forgiveness ... I understand the affect it has had on everyone and from the bottom of my heart I did not mean to do any damage."

Russell's actions would not have been illegal had he been given permission for the spankings by parents of the boys, Newman said.

Russell said he spanked his own children in addition to the four victims based on a methodology from the book, "Shepherding a Child's Heart," a manual on child rearing.

In one chapter the book says, "If you fail to spank, you don't take God seriously and don't love your child enough," Russell read aloud on the stand.

According to the book, there are eight steps for how a parent should spank their child. They include taking the child to a private place, telling the child what they did wrong, telling the child how many spankings they will receive and removing their pants. After spanking, the parent should hug their child and tell them how much they love him or her. They are also supposed to pray together.

“I cared for these children just like they were my own, and I did the same when it came to discipline,” Russell said. “My purpose was to get them to an understanding that their behavior needed to be changed. It was done with a motive of love. We never left the room until they had a smile on their face."

One victim's mother said her son came to her crying one night about 11 p.m. and told her what had happened.

"It was a parent's nightmare," she said. "(My son) told me he had been assaulted by his coach and that's why he didn't want to play baseball anymore ... He loved baseball."

The woman said her son is still deeply affected.

"He doesn't allow people to hug him," she said. "In the weeks leading up to this trial, he started sleeping out on the recliner because he was afraid Coach Russell will come and hurt him again."

Russell had been apart of the Henderson County community for more than 20 years after graduating from Hendersonville High and working in various jobs with children, including at Transylvania County Schools. He moved to Michigan with his wife and three children after the allegations arose and worked at a McDonald's.

He also was involved in ministry, and three character witnesses testified on Russell’s behalf after meeting him through church.

"John is a man of integrity and honor," said Phillip Smith, a pastor and friend of Russell's. "I love him not only as a brother in Christ but as my own brother."

A victim's mother said Russell "used his Christianity in a sick and twisted way."

"I detest you and what you did to my son ... That is just sick that you humiliated my child," she said.

That same mother, though, concluded her testimony by forgiving Russell.

"When you made that choice, you asked for the consequences," she said.

Judge Letts told Russell that although he thought he was acting with the right intentions that “we all must recognize there are boundaries.”

Before court recessed, Letts told the victims to remember one thing.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” he said. “Sometimes kids place their trust in adults and it's violated.”

Russell was taken into custody following the trial Tuesday. As part of his supervised probation, he will not be allowed to be alone with a child younger than 18 or be involved in any activity involving children younger than 18.

Ex-Hendersonville youth coach charged in spankings