The St. Thomas high school coach accused of sexually abusing student-athletes and documenting those acts with pornographic images pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court Wednesday. The arraignment hearing for defendant Alfredo Bruce Smith took place virtually before U.S. Magistrate Ruth Miller.
Jury selection and a trial for the track and field coach – who also worked as a hall monitor at Charlotte Amalie High School – could begin before the end of 2021.
At the time he was arrested in September, Smith was charged with producing child pornography. On Wednesday a lawyer representing Smith entered not guilty pleas to 10 alleged offenses. Three more local charges, for second-degree rape, were not addressed in the hearing.