Former Marist coach heading to prison for filming male players in locker room

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POUGHKEEPSIE – A former Marist College men’s volleyball coach pleaded guilty to 10 felony counts of unlawful surveillance that took place in the men’s locker room at the Town of Poughkeepsie school between 2017 and 2018.  Fifty-year-old Richard Kelly entered the plea in front of Dutchess County Court Judge Jessica Segal on Tuesday morning.

 

Kelly was arrested in July of 2020 after an investigation by State Police.

 

Kelly admitted in court that he used his cell phone to take videos and pictures of the genitalia of 10 different men while they were in the locker room.  He admitted that the recordings were for his own sexual gratification.  During the investigation, Kelly was also charged with a crime involving the possession of sexual images of a child.  Those town charges are being included in the county court plea.

 

Once Kelly allocuted, Judge Segal said, “You are being remanded without bail,” at which time court officers handcuffed him and removed him from the courtroom.

 

Sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2022.  Kelly faces a maximum of four to 12 years in prison.  Assistant District Attorney Kristine Whalen told Segal that it was unlikely that the victims would speak at sentencing because they have since left Marist and are living in various parts of the country.

 

 



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Todd Bender

Todd Bender started as a stringer before rising through the ranks to Dutchess County Bureau Chief. Bender is the senior investigative reporter for Mid Hudson News, focusing on crime and government. He is an avid angler and is likely to be organizing his collection of unused fishing lures while watching replays of council or board meetings and simultaneously complaining about the lack of time to go fishing.