MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WTVM) – A coach has been convicted of a sexual crime involving a minor in an Alabama federal court.

According to court documents, 40-year-old Leroy Thomas Joyner, Jr., from Columbus, Georgia, was convicted on one count of unlawfully transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity on Jan. 23.

Evidence presented during his trial showed that Joyner was a tennis coach operating an association that provided lessons to underprivileged children and teens in Dale County, Alabama.

Accusations of the defendant using a wooden paddle on some of his students were reported in Sept. 2018, which prompted an investigation that found much more than physical abuse occurring.

Investigators uncovered that in late 2015, Joyner took a “special interest” in a 12-year-old female student and began taking her out of state to play in tennis tournaments.

According to trial testimony, the defendant engaged in sex acts with the teen in multiple states, including Georgia, Louisana and South Carolina. As a result, the acts continued until the abuse reports surfaced in 2018, while the victim was 15 years old at the time.

Joyner is facing a sentence of ten years to life in federal prison following his guilty verdict. A sentencing hearing will be schedule in the coming months.

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