Brad Lester, 32, was booked on one count of unlawful eavesdropping and another count of creating or possessions child pornography with the intent to distribute
A former Auburn University running back who went on to become a youth football coach and substitute teacher is facing two felony child pornography charges in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
Brad Lester, 32, was arrested last week on one count of unlawful eavesdropping and another count of creating or possessing child pornography with the intent to distribute. As of Wednesday morning, Lester remained in jail without bond, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Lester was arrested for allegedly using a cellphone to secretly film a juvenile male in a bathroom stall at a Dacula-area restaurant between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on November 6, according to the arrest warrants obtained by the Journal-Constitution.
The victim’s age and the exact location have not been reported. Wesley Person, Lester’s attorney, declined to comment to the Journal-Constitution.
Brad Lester (No. 1) of the Auburn University Tigers runs around Michael Hamlin (No. 25) of the Clemson Univeristy Tigers during the Chick-Fil-A Bowl on December 31, 2007
Gwinnett County schools spokeswoman Sloan Roach confirmed to the Journal-Constitution that Lester previously worked as a substitute teacher in the school district, adding that it is his ‘understanding that he no longer is a substitute with GCPS.’
Lester was once a promising player for the Tigers, rushing for 1,379 yards and 17 touchdowns over his freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons.
But after entering his senior season averaging an impressive 4.8 yards a carry, Lester struggled to remain academically eligible and was later injured in a game against Mississippi State. He finished his senior season averaging just 3.6 yards a carry and ultimately went unpicked in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Lester went on to play a season in the CFL before playing in the Ultimate Indoor Football League and eventually starting Athletes Elite Performance, which is a training company for young athletes based in Georgia.
‘The main focus is high school and I am starting to lean more toward the youth as well,’ Lester, who has an ‘exercise science’ degree from Auburn, told The Gwinnett Post.
‘But mainly high school,’ he continued. ‘My workouts are very intense. I know you can’t push the younger kids as hard as you push the older kids. You may see someone in here throwing up, I push them with high intensity. We have our days where it’s more plyometrics and speciality. But we have our days where I really see where your mental toughness is.’
Lester was once a promising player for the Tigers, rushing for 1,379 yards and 17 touchdowns over his freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons