(WKYT) – A woman who says a high school swim coach once sent her inappropriate messages as a teenager says she’s not surprised by his arrest this week on child pornography charges.
Bradley Yeager spent his career working in education. That was before he was arrested this week on child pornography-related charges.
A personnel file from Corbin High School indicates that Yeager served as a swim coach and substitute teacher there in the 2010s. Most recently, he has been a swim coach and special education teacher at South Laurel High School.
He now sits in the Knox County Detention Center.
Barbourville police took Yeager into custody this past Sunday. His arrest citation states that Yeager paid a woman for sexually explicit messages of herself and a child.
Police say that the woman is Rachel Baker, who was also arrested this week.
Both adults face several charges, including possession of child pornography. Since their arrests, Kentucky State Police have added more charges, including promoting human trafficking.
Former swimmer speaks out
Devoree Peace says Yeager coached her at Corbin High School, and she’s had concerns about him for years.
“Literally one of my first words was like, finally. I was like, somebody did something,” Peace said.
School records obtained by WKYT show Yeager started coaching for the Corbin High swim team in 2013. That was the same year school records show Peace on the roster. She was 15, he was 22.
Peace claims Yeager sent her inappropriate text and Snapchat messages and kissed her after dropping her off from swim practice.
“I was like, oh, I got his attention, I got him to kiss me, I did this, like I felt proud of what I did, and then as I got older, I was more disgusted,” Peace said.
Documents obtained by WKYT show that in 2015, Yeager was not invited back to coach, but the reason was not stated.
After seeing Yeager’s arrest, Peace decided to share her story publicly and with the police. Corbin police detectives confirmed for WKYT that they have opened an investigation into Peace’s claims.
She said she wants to make sure Yeager cannot take advantage of a minor again.
“If I had done this when I was 15 years old, when I had all the texts right there and the snapchats right there, then he would probably not have had this opportunity to do this again, and so I feel like it’s time for people who have been victimized by him, it’s time for the victims to speak out,” Peace said.
WKYT reached out to the Knox County Detention Center to speak with Yeager and Baker. Both declined to comment.
Laurel County Schools posted a statement online after Yeager’s arrest, stating that it has suspended him from employment pending the outcome of the investigation.
Corbin’s superintendent told WKYT the district is aware of an investigation regarding a former employee and is fully cooperating with police.