By Sergei Pourmal & Matthew Freeman
Gargoyle co-editor-in-chief & senior editor
Posted Monday, March 13, 2006, The OG, news

Yuri Ermakov, an assistant track and cross-country coach for Uni High who has been a paid nonteaching employee since August 2004, was arrested by University of Illinois police Friday night in connection with aggravated criminal sexual abuse (720 ILCS 5/12-16) and possession of cannabis with intent to deliver (720 ILCS 550/5), according to information gathered by the Gargoyle during a phone interview Sunday night with the Champaign County Sheriff's Office.

Ermakov, 23, was booked at 2:14 a.m. Saturday at the satellite jail of the Champaign County Correctional Center and is currently being held on $150,000 bond after his bond hearing Sunday morning at 10:01.

Although specifics have not yet been released on the charges or on the victims, Ermakov was allegedly in possession of more than 10 grams of cannabis, according to the Sheriff's Office.

U of I Associate Chancellor for Public Affairs Robin Kaler told the Gargoyle in a phone interview Sunday night that Uni administrators heard of the allegations against Ermakov on Friday and dealt with them promptly, calling in any suspected victims and witnesses. Ermakov was arrested within 12 hours of police involvement.

Currently Ermakov is on a no-contact order with Uni High and with any students from the high school, which prevents him from speaking to anyone from the school, including administrators, or going near the school until the order is lifted, according to the Sheriff's Office.

He is being held at the satellite jail of Champaign County in east Urbana. Arraignment hearings on both charges are scheduled for today at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom F of the Champaign County Courthouse.

[Note: This story has been revised since it was originally posted. Hyperlinks have been added to direct readers to the relevant criminal statutes, and the age of the accused has been corrected to reflect additional information obtained from the Sheriff's Office. The month and year in which he began his association with Uni as a paid employee were also added. The revisions were made at 12:30 p.m. and 5:50 p.m., Monday, March 13, and at 11 p.m., Wednesday, March 29.]