A former Wood County coach will have to register as a sexual offender after pleading guilty to attempted gross sexual imposition.
Brady Spanfellner, 26, formerly of Cygnet and currently of Dundee, Michigan, appeared Tuesday in the courtroom of Wood County Common Pleas Judge Matt Reger.
He pleaded guilty to attempted gross sexual imposition, amended from attempted sexual battery; and two counts of contributing to the unruliness or delinquency of a child.
Reger said the maximum sentence for the attempted GSI, which is a fifth-degree felony, was 12 months and the maximum for the other two charges, which are first-degree misdemeanors, was 180 days for each.
Prison is not mandatory or presumed for these charges, he said.
Spanfellner was indicted in February on 17 charges, including attempted sexual battery, a fourth-degree felony; eight counts contributing to the delinquency of a child, five counts illegal distribution of cigarettes or other tobacco, and three counts failure to comply with underage alcohol laws.
On March 19, 2022, he engaged in unwanted sexual contact with an 18-year-old while he was a coach at Elmwood High School.
Spanfellner had been hired by Elmwood as an assistant track coach in March 2021. When he resigned in April 2022 after rumors started circulating, he was co-head coach of the track team.
He is accused of contributing to the unruliness or delinquency of a child twice on Dec. 31, 2021.
As part of the plea, Spanfellner will voluntarily give up his teaching license.
He will have to register as a Tier I sex offender, which will require him to register every 12 months over a period of 15 years.
Sentence was set for July 23.
