A two-week trial has been set for a Bowling Green man accused of sexually assaulting teen boys.
Zachary Gibson was transported from the jail Thursday to the courtroom of Wood Count Common Pleas Judge Joel Kuhlman. He did not appear in the courtroom for his scheduled final pretrial.
Gibson, 31, is a former strength coach who worked at Bowling Green High School and is accused of rape and solicitation of teenage boys.
Defense attorney Sara Roller said the trial dates set for Sept. 18-22 were not viable as five days won’t be long enough.
It may take more than one day to pick a jury, she said.
She also said the defense was still investigating the facts in the two separate indictments.
Wood County Assistant Prosecutor Dexter Phillips had no objection.
He provided Roller with interviews with juvenile victims with the understanding they were for counsel only and were not to be viewed by the defendant.
The two weeks is necessary as it may take time to pick a jury and a large number of summonses may be issued, Phillips said.
“I don’t know if it’ll take two full weeks, but I think it’s going take more than five days,” Roller said.
A final pretrial was scheduled for Nov. 9.
The two-week trial was set to run Dec. 11-22.
Gibson has been accused of allegedly engaging in sexual conduct with a 16-year-old while he worked with the baseball and basketball teams at BGHS.
The three rapes alleged occurred on July 2-3, 2021, when he allegedly engaged in sexual conduct with the same boy, who was 15 at the time, while the boy was unconscious due to alcohol consumption.
He also is accused of possessing or viewing material or performance that showed a minor in a state of nudity; creating, photographing, reproducing or publishing material that showed a minor participating or engaging in sexual activity or masturbation; soliciting another boy who was 15 years old at the time to engage in sex; and providing a juvenile with liquid anabolic steroids.
Gibson remains in jail on a $200,000 bond.
