Former metro Atlanta track coach, teacher accused of grooming students indicted

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — A grand jury has indicted a former metro Atlanta high school teacher and track coach on sexual assault charges.

Kerry Hood, 47, is accused of having sexual relations with one of his students. The student said he recorded the encounters and would ask her to send him inappropriate pictures.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said they became aware of allegations against Hood, a teacher and track and field coach at Lithia Springs High School on May 27. Hood was arrested when he turned himself in on May 29.

Court documents show that a grand jury indicted Hood on Aug. 14 on three counts of sexual contact by employee or agent in the first degree.

On Aug. 19, Hood waived his right to an arraignment hearing and entered a not guilty plea, according to the court documents.

At a bond hearing earlier this month, prosecutors said that Hood groomed and sexually exploited students for over a decade.

All three counts in the Aug. 14 indictment lists only one victim. Investigators previously said they are looking into another student’s claims.

Hood’s attorney says the court should only consider the charges his client faces, not speculation on charges that may or may not come later.

The judge denied bond. She cited allegations that Hood was in contact with the potential victims and was captured on a jail call asking about students on the track team.

Hood’s next court hearing isn’t scheduled until November.