A judge has granted a continuance for the trial of Shane Coats, the Petal man who last year was arrested on one count of sexual battery of a minor under the age of 14.
Documents from Forrest County Circuit Court show that on May 2, judge Bob Helfrich reset Coats’ case from May 3 – when it was originally scheduled – to August 23. In addition, all parties, including Coats and his attorney Kimberly Morrison, must appear in circuit court at 9 a.m. July 14 for a status conference.
Failure to appear would result in a bench warrant being issued for Coats.
A grand jury convened on January 4 before filing an indictment against Coats on January 17. The indictment states that Coats, 32, engaged in the sexual battery activity on one or more occasions between the dates of January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021.
“(Coats) did willfully, purposely, unlawfully and feloniously commit sexual battery on a child … who was at the time in question under the age of 14 years," the indictment reads.
Coats was taken into custody by officers of the Petal Police Department on the morning of May 17, 2021, and was transported to the Forrest County Correctional Facility that afternoon before being brought back to Petal the next morning for his initial appearance.
During that appearance, Petal municipal judge Michael Reed set the bond for Coats at $100,000. At that amount, Coats would need 10 percent – or $10,000 – to make bail.
However, even if Coats were to post jail in Forrest County, he would immediately be transported to Jackson County, where he is facing additional charges. He would then have to post bail at that location in order to be released.
If convicted, Coats would face 40 years to life in prison.
Coats’ mother, Hope Coats, said she didn’t believe her son deserved to have a bond set because, in her opinion, he is a flight risk.
“Shane has a lot of mental problems; he is a menace to society at this point, and he is very dangerous because his mind is not right,” she said at her son’s initial court appearance. “He needs medical help – he needs mental help.
“Shane’s a very loving, kind person, but he’s got a deranged way of thought. I don’t even know what to think right now, to be honest.”
According to Mississippi Code 97-3-95, a person is guilty of sexual battery if he or she engages in sexual penetration with: another person without his or her consent; a mentally defective, mentally incapacitated or physically helpless person; a child at least 14 years of age, if the person is 36 or more months older than the child; or a child under the age of 14, if the person is 24 or more months older than the child.
In May 2022, a “Victims of Shane Coats” Facebook page was created, on which dozens of individuals have commented about Coats’ alleged crimes against men, women and children. Those allegations include child abuse, rape, theft and public masturbation.
“This page is to let victims of Shane Coats be able to tell their story freely and anonymously,” one of the page’s posts states. “Not only is it a place for them to speak up but we are also trying to get justice for everyone who was a victim as well.
“Justice will be served come hell or high waters (sic). He needs to be locked away not only for what he did to these men and women but also what he did to his daughter. He has victims all over and I’m sure there are a lot more.”
