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According to numerous witnesses, students, and former students, the disgraced coach is now being accused of sexually abusing multiple children throughout his employment at the school.
On Friday, October 3rd, he was sentenced to serve out a life sentence behind bars after finally being held accountable at the age of 73. Atwell admitted to his misdeeds and pleaded guilty to all charges. Those charges included lewdness with a child under the age of 14 and sexual assault of a child under the age of 14.
Atwell admitted to sexually abusing four children, but prosecutors believe there are additional victims who haven’t yet come forward. Prosecutors are also sure that Atwell abused other children, but can no longer be charged for those crimes due to statute of limitation laws.
One of the main witnesses against Atwell told the court that he struggled so much with what happened and whether or not to come forward about his truth that he contemplated taking his own life just to escape the pain and suffering. Despite that, he does not have any hate for Atwell.
Atwell does have the opportunity to seek parole, but not for another 35 years. Considering Atwell is already 73, it’s unlikely he will ever make it to that point. According to Deputy District Attorney Morgan Lombardo, Atwell has essentially been handed down a death sentence because he will likely never have the opportunity to leave prison.
Prior to teaching at Palo Verde, Atwell also taught at Becker Middle School. Before that, he served in the military during the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm.
In Nevada, getting convicted of a sex crime against a minor is going to have life-long consequences that extend far past any jail or prison sentence you have to serve. Even after you’ve served your time behind bars, you’ll face serious penalties once you’re released.
For one, you will have to register on a public sex offender list. This list will outline your charges, your name, your address, and include a recent photograph of you. Anyone can publicly look up this information, so being on this list can impact housing opportunities, job searches, and your personal relationships.
For another, you will be a convicted felon. That means you will automatically lose the right to vote, possess a firearm, hold public office, and serve on a jury. You might also lose out on certain employment opportunities or not be able to take out specific professional licenses.
To avoid these penalties, you need to act early and hire a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible if you think you might face charges. Schedule a free phone call with our team here at LV Criminal Defense now by leaving your contact details on our online form to get started on your case.
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