A former assistant basketball coach at King’s Way Christian School pleaded guilty Friday to having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student.
Kyley J. Allworth, 29, admitted to two counts of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor. She will be sentenced June 8, once a corrections officer conducts a pre-sentence investigation into Allworth’s background and likelihood of reoffending.
She faces a sentence of between 15 and 20 months in prison, said Deputy Prosecutor Anna Klein.
Allworth admitted in her court statement to Superior Court Judge Scott Collier that she “had sexual intercourse with a student on two separate occasions.” The incidents are believed to have occurred sometime between Feb. 1 and March 10.
Allworth’s guilty plea was not a result of a plea bargain; she admitted to all allegations with which she was charged, said defense attorney Diane Sweet.
An assistant librarian in addition to her work on the basketball team, Allworth reportedly had sexual contact with the girl at the school and the First Church of God, next to the school in the 3300 block of Northeast 78th Street.
Investigators described the relationship as a “mentor relationship that progressed.” There were no allegations the sexual contact was against the girl’s will, sheriff’s Detective Beth Luvera has said.
The state’s age of consent is 16. Washington’s abuse of trust statute makes it a crime for a teacher or coach to have sex with a student.
The allegations came to light when Allworth notified the school of her resignation on March 9. School officials alerted the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. She was arrested March 13.
Interviewed by detectives, “Allworth said she was aware that her conduct with (the alleged victim) could result in criminal charges and accepted full responsibility for her actions,” according to the probable cause affidavit.
Laura McVicker: http://twitter.com/col_courts; http://facebook.com/reportermcvicker; laura.mcvicker@columbian.com; 360-735-4516.
