Josh Denault (Photo courtesy: Brown County Jail)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A preliminary hearing was postponed Thursday for a tennis coach accused of taking “upskirting” videos of children.
Josh Denault, 40, faces four counts, including capturing an intimate representation and child sexual exploitation.
A preliminary hearing was planned for Thursday, but the defense attorney said discussions continue with prosecutors, so he asked for another court date. A status conference is set for July 8.
Prosecutors have indicated additional charges could be filed, but, to this point, have not been.
Denault was a tennis coach at Western Racquet & Fitness Club in Ashwaubenon and Four Seasons Tennis Club in Allouez, which are owned by the same company.
According to the criminal complaint, a 10-year-old girl came forward in early May. She said that during lessons, Denault asked her to get into a wide stance, then placed his cellphone directly underneath her and recorded a video.
Sheriff’s officials searched Denault’s phone and found videos of the victim and other girls.
“Joshua did state that he would record a child on the court for training purposes,” the complaint says. However, prosecutors say the videos mainly showed intimate body areas. The girls were all clothed.
“Denault appeared to be ‘instructing’ the juvenile females, however based on the camera angle and video, you can barely see the girls’ arms, tennis racquet and form,” the complaint says.
“This is an active and sensitive investigation, involving a growing number of young victims,” Capt. David Poteat of the Brown County Sheriff’s Office said on May 24.
Based off of evidence recovered from Denault’s devices, Poteat said he believed there were at least 20 other victims, spanning about a three-year period.
“We do believe that there are other victims, so we are asking for them to come forward to let us know what their experiences were,” Poteat said.
As investigators continue to collect and review evidence, they ask anyone with information related to this case to contact Sgt. Matthew Wilson at (920) 448-6192 or matthew.wilson@browncountywi.gov.
In a message to members, Western Racquet & Fitness Club, wrote:
“We are writing about a recent event involving a former employee on our tennis staff. On May 14th, an incident was brought to our attention by an Investigator with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department. The incident occurred during the week of May 6th, involving a participant of the junior tennis program. Upon learning of the incident, the employee was immediately terminated. Western is fully cooperating with law enforcement. It is our understanding that criminal charges have been issued. We are committed to providing you updates as we are able.”
Authorities say parents should foster open and honest communications with their children and commit to being an advocate for their safety. They can do this by speaking with their children about their activities and the people they have contact with.
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