ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — UPDATE: Court documents say Looper’s first court appearance is October 10.
ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — On September 1, Colton Looper, 26, a former Rogers High School wrestling coach, was arrested for first-degree sexual assault.
A probable cause filing submitted by the Rogers Police Department states that officers were called to the Rogers Public Schools Administration Building in reference to an abuse complaint on August 29. Dr. Charles Lee, an assistant superintendent for Rogers Public Schools, advised investigators that there was a complaint regarding “a sexual relationship between a student that has since graduated and a coach.”
Lee told officers that he had been contacted by “a concerned parent” who disclosed that an 18-year-old female admitted to having a sexual relationship with Looper, her wrestling coach, during the 2021-22 school year. The victim told Lee that she had been in a relationship with Looper from September 2021 through July 2022.
She explained that she exchanged nude photographs with her coach and had intercourse with him on one occasion. Dr. Lee then spoke with Looper, who initially denied having the text message conversation. He later admitted to having the conversation and sending nude photographs.
Lee had previously asked Looper for a roster of female wrestlers on the Rogers High School team and the victim’s name was omitted from that list.
An investigating officer spoke to her on August 31 to take her statement. She said initially she and Looper were “just talking as friends and talking about team problems.” She said he later asked to communicate with her “on something that the messages would disappear.” She said they began using Snapchat in mid-September and the conversations “turned sexual” after the first week.
The two agreed to continue communicating by traditional text messaging if she wanted to speak to him “as a student” and over Snapchat if “the conversation was in a sexual nature.” The exchanges progressed to exchanging photographs.
They had “a mutual idea” to meet for sex “around October or November.” She reported that Looper had been at a boys’ wrestling tournament and left early to meet her. She reported they had intercourse in his vehicle in the back of a business parking lot.
She told Looper that “she could not look at him as a coach while they were having sexual intercourse.” She also advised him at the start of the relationship that he “had a lot to lose.”
Rogers police officers executed a search warrant at Looper’s residence on September 1 shortly after 7:30 a.m. Looper told officers that he knew why they were there. He admitted to exchanging “inappropriate messages and photographs” with the victim.
He told the officers that he was called in by school administrators to discuss the matter on August 26. He lied to them at first, and then he was told there would be an investigation.
“I’m sorry, I ****ed up,” he responded.
Looper said that the reason he left the student’s name off the team roster was because “he was scared of losing everything.” He told officers he had been accused of something like this when he was a coach in Watonga, Oklahoma, admitting that he had inappropriate conversations with an 18-year-old girl that wanted to join the wrestling team in Watonga.
Looper was booked into Benton County jail and is awaiting a bond hearing.
The prosecution has requested a bond amount of $75,000.
On September 3, his bond was set to $50,000.
Dr. Jeff Perry, Superintendent of Rogers Public Schools, released the following statement:
A former Rogers Public Schools staff member was charged with sexual assault on September 1, 2022, for an alleged incident occurring last school year. Currently, the Rogers School District is working with local law enforcement to conduct a thorough and complete investigation of this allegation. As always, the safety and well-being of our students are our top priorities and school administration took immediate action to ensure the safety of students.
The staff member in question resigned his position on August 29, 2022, and is no longer employed by the school district. As mandated by state law, the school district notified Arkansas State Police- Crimes Against Children Division, local law enforcement and the Arkansas Department of Education Board of Ethics. Law enforcement is currently working with district officials and staff to complete this investigation.
Dr. Jeff Perry, Superintendent, Rogers Public Schools
Ashley Siwiec, the district’s communications director, said Looper began working for Rogers Schools in 2020.
