NJ coach, teacher accused of sexting 14-year-old student on Instagram

🔻 NJ teacher, coach arrested
🔻 Accused of sexting student
🔻 Instagram messages probed

A Morris County high school teacher and longtime multi-level soccer coach has been accused of sending sexual and suggestive messages to a teen.

James Wiegand, 43, of Sparta, is charged with third-degree endangering the welfare of a child in connection with inappropriate online conversations with a 14-year-old student.

Wiegand, a social studies teacher and high school boys soccer coach, sent sexual messages via Instagram to the teen between September and November 2024, officials said.

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In November, a Parsippany High School administrator reported the activities to Parsippany-Troy Hills Police and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.

Last year, Wiegand began his sixth season as assistant coach of the Drew University women's soccer team.

He has been suspended from his jobs at both schools, officials confirmed.

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Wiegand has also worked as a trainer for MatchFit Academy.

He was previously the head boys soccer coach at Dover High School in 2013.

After his arrest Thursday, Wiegand was released under pretrial supervision with conditions that he be monitored, have no contact with the victim, and no unsupervised contact with minor children, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said.

He has a court date set for April 21.

Anyone with potential information related to the investigation is asked to call the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-6200, or the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department at 973-263-4300.

Several years ago, a teacher at the other high school that serves Parsippany was sent to prison after being convicted of a similar offense.

In 2017, Jenna Leahey was sentenced to five years in state prison, after pleading guilty to endangering the welfare of a child through sexually explicit texting.

Leahey was an English teacher at Parsippany Hills High School when charged in 2013.

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