Missouri youth basketball coach charged with sexual abuse

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) – A Springfield youth basketball coach has been charged with sexually abusing a half-dozen girls over the past 25 years.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that 52-year-old Antwuan Looney Sr. was charged Thursday with multiple counts of statutory rape, statutory sodomy and child molestation.

Several of Looney’s accusers were girls who played basketball for Looney, according to prosecutors. The allegations go as far back as 1995.

Court documents describe multiple instances where Looney allegedly worked to get children as young as 9 alone and then raped them or touched them inappropriately.

In an interview with police, Looney denied the allegations against him.