Olympian Danny Harris charged with teen sex crimes

Olympic silver medalist Danny Harris has been charged with contacting a teenage girl to commit a sex crime while he was a California high school coach.|
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN GABRIEL - Olympic silver medalist Danny Harris has been charged with contacting a teenage girl to commit a sex crime while he was a Southern California high school coach.

The 51-year-old Harris was charged Tuesday with six counts of contacting a minor for sexual offense, child abuse and child annoyance. He was arrested Friday.

A message to his attorney wasn't immediately returned.

Harris earned silver in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles behind legendary hurdler Edwin Moses, who won gold.

Prosecutors say he sent inappropriate text messages to a 17-year-old girl while he was a track-and-field coach at Gabrielino High School in San Gabriel.

The girl wasn't his student.

If convicted, Harris could face seven years in prison.

The school district removed him from his job in May.

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