Local track coach accused of sex crimes against children, CMPD says

CHARLOTTE — A local track coach is facing felony charges after allegedly sexually assaulting multiple underage girls, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Channel 9 got arrest records and court documents on Tuesday for Daszmar Lammon Lockhart. He’s being charged with four counts of indecent liberties with a child, two counts of statutory sex offense with a child, and one count of statutory rape of a child aged 15 or under.

Court documents say that in early September, a victim reported to police that she was “sexually assaulted several times when she was 14 years old by her track coach, Daszmar Lockhart.” The victim, who is now an adult, reported that Lockhart would bring her to his house for “private trainings a few days out of the week.” She said she was raped by Lockhart.

While police were investigating that report, another minor filed a police report and said she was a part of “Lock Nation Athletics,” and that she received training at Lockhart’s home when she was about 15 years old. The victim said Lockhart sexually assaulted her while giving her a massage, according to an affidavit obtained by Channel 9.

A third victim filed a police report during the investigation and said Lockhart was coaching her when she was 11 years old, according to the affidavit. She told police that Lockhart told her to do an exercise called “the fire hydrant,” lifting up one of her legs. She told police that when she turned around, she saw Lockhart standing behind her and sexually gratifying himself.

CMPD said that Lockhart was working as an independent contractor and there aren’t any known affiliations with local schools.

Two of the victims were from the Charlotte area, and one victim was from the Fayetteville area, CMPD said. Investigators said Lockhart possibly worked as a coach across North Carolina.

Back in 2017, Channel 9 reported when Lockhart was arrested in Harrisburg for allegedly exposing himself to a 13-year-old girl at a shopping center. Court records show that he was convicted of felony “dissemination to minors under 16″ and sentenced to probation in 2019.

An article from 2022 by our partners at the Charlotte Observer lists Lockhart as an “assistant track coach at West Mecklenburg High School.” Channel 9 reached out to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for information on his role with the school. CMS said he was never an employee of the district, but he may have gained that title as a volunteer.

Channel 9′s Evan Donovan asked CMS if Lockhart, as a volunteer, had to get a background check, and if he passed.

CMS said, “Due to confidentiality issues, we cannot disclose if a volunteer has passed a background check.”

CMPD urged parents to do a background check when hiring personal coaches or private instructors. An investigator said it’s important to talk to your kids to make sure they know they can report it if something does happen with a coach.

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Lockhart was arrested Tuesday morning and booked into the Mecklenburg County jail. He was granted a $200,000 bond, but he was still listed in court Tuesday afternoon.

Investigators believe there may be additional victims, and they’re asking for anyone who may have been victimized to contact police at 704-336-7495.

‘Ask questions’

Channel 9′s Jonathan Lowe spoke with youth sports leaders focused on protecting athletes.

“Basically, being a private coach, we’re not under that umbrella of an organization. We’re acting as our own entity,” said Renaldo Summers, an assistant coach.

Summers has coached privately in various sports during his decades-long career and is currently an assistant coach with the Derita Warriors.

“Those coaches have played professionally, have played collegiately, so I think that’s the allure of most of the parents,” Summers said.

However, in light of Lockhart’s arrest, Summers suggests parents take a beat before signing their child up.

“First and foremost, I would advise them to ask questions,” Summers said. “Who have you trained, or do you have your own facility? What is your facility? Where are you going to take the kid?”

That is standard operating procedure with athletic leagues, including with the Derita Warriors.

“Any coach or any volunteer, for that matter, has to go through an extensive background check,” said Tonia Faison, the president of the Derita Athletic Association.

Faison said that is not a one-time thing.

“We get a ping every month they update,” she said.

Faison’s main suggestion is word of mouth among athletic leagues because they are very well connected.

They do their checks on a candidate’s background.

“We’ll reach out to other organizations and say, ‘Hey, do you happen to know of this person?’” Faison said.

She encourages parents considering private coaching to be just as skeptical.

“Do what you have to do to become a detective to make sure that that person is safe to be around your child,” she said.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

(VIDEO: Lincoln Co. high school coach arrested in SC on child sex assault charges)