HOWARD COACH ARRESTED: A Howard University soccer coach was arrested in Louisa County, Virginia as part of an online sex sting. Authorities took 40-year-old Joseph E. Okoh into custody Friday evening after he drove from his Arlington, Va. home to meet who he believed was a 13-year-old girl that he had been talking to over the internet. The Louisa County sheriff's office said the coach was talking in a Yahoo Instant Message chat room and that they were "shocked" by how quickly the suspect wanted to meet with the girl after just striking up a conversation. After driving nearly 100 miles, Okoh was arrested on the side of the road at a predetermined location and charged him with one felony count of using a computer to solicit a person under 15-years-old with lascivious intent. He was arrested by the Louisa County Sheriff's Office as part of the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. He is being held without bond at the Central Virginia Jail after having a hearing Monday morning. Okoh is in his first season as head men's soccer coach at Howard. The Bison closed with five straight losses to finish 3-8-5, 1-3-1 in the Atlantic Soccer Conference. Okoh's son Michel was a senior member of the 2007 Howard team. Howard issued a statement saying Okoh has been suspended from all University activities and duties pending completion of the investigation and resolution of this matter. The investigation remains ongoing..

© 2008 Azeez Communications, Inc.

Return to Front Page