Head basketball coach Scott Spear has won more than 200 games as coach of the Richard Montgomery Rockets.

Published on: Friday, February 03, 2012

updated 12:20 p.m., 2/3/2012 to include new police statements and time line.

ROCKVILLE – Thursday, county police arrested a highly respected teacher who works at Rockville’s Julius West Middle School and is the head basketball coach at Richard Montgomery High School.

Scott Spear, 47, also a cross-country track coach at Richard Montgomery, is charged with committing a fourth-degree sex offense. Police say they had enough evidence to charge Spear with having sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old R.M. student. Police say Spear had also been her track coach and taught her in middle school.

"Apparently, according to the victim, the intercourse was consensual," said officer Janelle Smith, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Police.

According to a police media release, the police began investigating Spear after an incident in May or June 2011, when a third party  approached police.

"We aren't saying who that person is," Smith explained. "But we had extensive interviews with the victim after the case was made known to us. Most of the information came from the victim."

According to the police press release  the victim initially only said she had sex with an older man, but in November of 2011, she confessed she had sex with Spear who was her track coach at R.M.

"Based on the information we have, we believe this is an isolated incident," Smith said. "The have had an ongoing relationship of some sort for years."

Police claim Spear had been in constant contact with the student via cell phone during and after school hours and on weekends. Police also say that in April or May of 2011, Spear contacted the student and asked if she wanted to meet. According to police, she agreed and Spear then took her to a Rockville residence where they engaged in sexual intercourse. Police say this occurred on two different occasions.

Spear, who took the Richard Montgomery Rockets to the county basketball championship two years ago, has won more than 200 games for the Rockets as their head coach.

Former players of the R.M. Rockets say they had fond memories of playing for Spear and added, “He was one of the best coaches I ever played for in high school.”

Spear is being held in Montgomery County jail under a $250,000 bond. He is scheduled for a bond review on Friday afternoon. He was unavailable for comment.