Judge dismisses charges for former NHCS volleyball coach

NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY) — Former Hoggard High School employee Ronnie Strickland, who was arrested in 20-21 for allegedly having sex with two 16-year-old students in 1982 and 1983, had his charges dismissed by a judge Tuesday.

Judge Ricardo Jensen granted the defense’s motion to dismiss the indictment.

Assistant district attorney Lance Oehrlein explains the legal backstory behind the judge’s action.

“If a crime has four elements, we have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt all four elements.” Lance Oehrlein explains. “The court said one of these four elements in the crime that we charged him with is that the girls had to be in the custody of New Hanover County Schools. Up until 16 you have to go to school, but once you hit 16 it’s not compulsory, and so I think that played a big part in the judge’s reasoning because look: the kids don’t have to be there. They can leave for lunch; they can come back for lunch; and so he just didn’t feel like school personnel had enough custody for it to fit the definition of that crime.”

The general assembly didn’t update state law to specifically criminalize sexual conduct between school personnel and all students, including 16, 17, and 18-year-olds until 1999.