Former Wesley Coach Charged with Sexual Solicitation of a Minor

Joshua Rutherford

By Kristen Griffith, The Whetstone

Former student and Wesley football coach Joshua Rutherford was arrested for soliciting a minor and attempting to deal in child pornography.

The 35-year-old Rutherford chatted with an undercover investigator on social media whom he believed was the father of a teenage girl, the Department of Justice said. The Delaware Child Predator Task Force conducted the undercover investigation.

Rutherford requested naked photos and an opportunity to meet and have sex with the man’s “daughter.” He arrived at the meeting spot, a park in Dover, on March 11, but instead of meeting a teenage girl and her father, he met the child predator task force and the Delaware State Police Special Operations Response Team.

The Department of Justice said he was charged with one count of Sexual Solicitation of a child under 18 to engage in prohibited Sexual Act, and one count of Attempted Dealing in Child Pornography.

At the time, Rutherford was teaching at Smyrna High School where he coached football and track and field.

Rutherford was part of Wesley’s football coaching staff for nine years. He worked with the offensive line in 2002 to 2009. In 2008, he received his Master’s Degree from Wesley in Sports Management.

Rutherford returned to Wesley Football in 2014 to help train the tight ends.

Junior Brandin Somerville said he was shocked when he heard the news about his former coach.

“You wouldn’t have thought he was doing stuff like that,” he said. “It’s just shocking to have somebody that you actually have talked to get arrested for something like that.”

Sophomore Vince Ebron said he remembers having a conversation with him about a concussion he had in 2014.

“I can’t even begin to think what his family is going through,” he said.