Honk News (Panhandle, TX) – A coach from the Texas Panhandle received a 30-year federal prison sentence on Tuesday for sexually abusing a 15-year-old student. Cole Patrick Underwood, a 29-year-old coach from Perryton ISD, faced charges through a criminal complaint in June 2024 and was indicted later that month.
In September 2024, he admitted to enticing a minor.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk sentenced him to 30 years in federal prison, along with a lifetime of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender.
He is now in the Randall County Jail under federal custody.
In May 2024, the superintendent of Perryton ISD contacted law enforcement to report a potential inappropriate relationship involving Underwood and a female student, as stated in court documents. The superintendent reported that surveillance footage reportedly captured Underwood meeting with the girl alone after hours, even though he had been explicitly instructed not to be alone with her.
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Agents examined the video and observed Underwood holding an outside door open before turning off the lights. Approximately 15 minutes later, the girl entered the dimly lit building through the ajar door and made her way into Underwood’s office.
During interviews with law enforcement, the child reported that Underwood engaged in sexual acts with her in his office over a span of more than a dozen occasions from February to May.
Documents from the court reveal that Underwood encountered the student during her middle school years.
After adding him as a contact on Snapchat, she mentioned that he reached out to her personally and even invited her to his office for a chat. She reported that Underwood started sending her flirtatious and sexual messages in December, and later used Snapchat to set up sexual meetings.
Investigators found several lengthy late-night chats on the girl’s cell phone, with some conversations exceeding six hours. These discussions were between her and Underwood, who reportedly sometimes called her “wifey” and expressed his love for her.
Federal court documents reveal that Underwood confessed to engaging in sexual activity with the underage girl at least 10 times in his office at the high school after school hours.