By LAURA KINSLER The Tampa Tribune

Published: Dec 29, 2006

THONOTOSASSA - A youth football coach charged with having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl says he is the victim of a teenager with "a huge crush on me." Police say otherwise.

Lee Chavis, 31, was arrested last week on charges of lewd and lascivious molestation. He's out of Pinellas County jail on $25,000 bail.

"This guy hooked up with a 14-year-old girl from St. Petersburg on a telephone chat line and represented himself as being under 20," St. Petersburg police spokesman George Kajtsa said.

The girl was living with her grandmother, who confronted the teen about disappearing from the house out of her bedroom window, Kajtsa said. The girl "admitted to having a sexual relationship with a guy who said he was 16 and he's 31."

"The mother and grandmother reported him to us, and the St. Petersburg Police Department had a warrant for his arrest," Kajtsa said. "He turned himself in to the Pinellas County Jail. She consented, but under Florida law she does not have the right to consent at her age."

In an interview with WFLA, News Channel 8, Chavis said he is the victim of a teenager with "a huge crush on me."

He acknowledged meeting the girl on a chat line but denied having a sexual relationship with her. He said the girl told him she was 21.

"I met her one time - in a public library, in broad daylight," he said.

After that meeting, Chavis said, the girl became infatuated with him and called his house up to 25 times a day.

"My dad had to tell her to stop calling. My brother-in-law, everybody told her to stop calling," he said.

Chavis said he did not lie about his age and would not have met the girl if he had known she was 14.

"I have a daughter who's 13," he said.

Chavis coached 8- and 9-year-old boys for the Temple Terrace Youth Football & Cheerleading organization, which wrapped up its season early this month.

Temple Terrace Youth Football & Cheerleading is an independent nonprofit association that serves 11,000 children, according to its Web site. The association has a contract with the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department to conduct background checks on coaching applicants.

Dean May, interim athletics director for the recreation department, said the department's personnel recommended denying Chavis' coaching application because he had multiple arrests dating to 1998. He has not been convicted of a felony, but previous charges include aggravated battery, fraud and grand theft.

He also has numerous driving offenses and was labeled a habitual offender. He was charged with driving under a revoked license in September.

"He went before an appeals committee, which isn't made up of county employees," May said. The board reinstated Chavis.

"There might be a case where we approve someone and the organization can still say no," May said. "We want them to be able to police themselves. These are good leagues that have been quality programs for 30 years."

League President Ricky Hayhurst could not be reached for comment.

The league includes this statement on its coaches' page: "Head coaches and assistant coaches are screened by the Football Director and approved very carefully by the Board of Directors. A high standard of moral and ethical ideals are stressed by all who are teaching the youth involved in our league."

Michelle Jasinski, a member of the board, said the football director who approved Chavis' coaching application is no longer on the board. The former football director, Miles Thomas, could not be reached for comment.

"We try to be as thorough as possible; that's our goal," May said. "You can't always predict human behavior."

Recreation department spokesman John Brill said the county is changing its policy on background checks. County staff now will have the final say on who can coach.

Brill said he is not aware of any complaints about Chavis' interaction with his players. The policy change was in the works before the December incident, he said.

"These coaches are on our facilities," Brill said. "We need to have the responsibility for saying whether they can or cannot coach."

Reporter Steve Kornacki contributed to this report. Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at lkinsler@tampatrib.com or (813) 865-4844.