A former youth basketball coach from Wadesboro pleaded guilty Tuesday in Anson County court to a statutory sex offense involving a child 15 or younger, closing one chapter of a multi-county investigation that has stretched back to 2024. The plea leaves a single criminal count standing while more serious trafficking and indecent-liberties allegations were dropped under a negotiated deal. The case has rattled parents and coaches alike, sparking renewed questions about who is watching over youth sports programs in the region.
Plea agreement and court records
Court records show that 30-year-old Jamoszio Shabaun Burch entered a guilty plea on March 23 to one count of statutory sexual offense with a person 15 or younger. In exchange, prosecutors dismissed a human trafficking of a child charge along with multiple indecent-liberties counts, according to WCNC.
How the investigation unfolded
Burch was first arrested in March 2024 and booked on allegations that included human trafficking of a child and two counts of indecent liberties. Stanly County deputies later added two counts of statutory sexual offense tied to alleged incidents in 2022. The Anson County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation worked the case together, and local investigators have said they believe there could be additional victims, according to reporting by WSOC.
School and team ties
Local outlets identified Burch as the coach behind the NC Jayhawks AAU program and as a former assistant varsity coach at Union Academy in Monroe. Union Academy said his contract had expired and he was no longer affiliated with the school, a statement first reported by WBTV.
What’s next for the case
Investigators have urged anyone with information to contact law enforcement as they continue to follow leads and seek additional victims, according to WSOC. Court records and local reporting did not immediately show a sentencing date after the plea, and prosecutors have not released further details about the agreement.
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