Peoria High School boys basketball coach Daniel Ruffin faces two felony charges following his arrest Monday for alleged solicitation of a female student.
The Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Ruffin, 41, with indecent solicitation of a child and grooming in connection with inappropriate text messages allegedly sent to the 16-year-old.
Ruffin has been released from custody under a set of conditions, including GPS monitoring, no contact with the victim, and no unsupervised contact or electronic communication with any minors not in his immediate family.
Ruffin, who has no prior felony convictions, was arrested Monday at Peoria High School after officers viewed the text messages on the victim’s phone. A spokesperson for Peoria Public Schools said Ruffin has been placed on unpaid leave.
Assistant coach Ryan McElmurry has assumed head coaching duties for the Peoria High basketball team. He guided the Lions to a 72-66 victory over rival Manual on Tuesday night.
Ruffin’s arraignment is scheduled for March 12.
