Shane Coats, the Petal man who last year was arrested on one count of sexual battery of a minor under the age of 14, will go to trial for that charge on May 3 in Forrest County Circuit Court.
On January 26, Coats appeared before 12th Circuit Court Judge Bob Helfrich, who set the trial date and assigned Kimberly Morrison as Coats’s public defender. Helfrich confirmed Coats’s bond at $100,000, with the stipulation that if Coats was to post bail, he would be required to wear a GPS ankle bracelet and have no contact with his alleged victim.
However, Investigator Jason Pharez from the Criminal Investigations Division of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department said that agency has an active warrant hold on Coats for one count of touching a child for lustful purposes (molesting). Therefore, if Coats was to post bond in Forrest County – which would cost him $10,000, or 10 percent of his bond amount – he would then be transferred to the Jackson County Jail, where he would have to post bail again to be released.
If convicted, Coats would face 40 years to life in prison.
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.
On January 4, a grand jury convened to decide whether to indict, or formally charge, Coats with the sexual battery of a minor charge. After deciding to do so, the jury filed the indictment on January 17 in Forrest County Circuit Court.
The indictment states that Coats, 32, engaged in the 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’ 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 the initial 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.
“I just hope the public will pray for us, and I’m here to support … both my granddaughters,” Hope Coats said. “And his victims out there – I’m so sorry and I wish I could have done more.”
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.”
Based on that Facebook page, police are further investigating Coats’ alleged activities.
“We are aware of a ‘Victims of Shane Coats’ Facebook page, that has since came up in the last couple of days,” said Lieutenant Sammy Ray of the Petal Police Department. “Of course, we are obligated to look into those incidents and anybody that comes forward with any information regarding Shane Coats.”
Prior to Coats’ arrest, Pharez made public posts asking for victims of Coats to come forward with any information available.
“We are working with multiple agencies, along with Jackson County, on this,” Ray said.
