Former Coach at Asheville Christian Academy Pleads Guilty to Sexual Misconduct With Student, Receives Suspended Sentence

Court records and news reports describe charges against Samuel Jason Ingle, a former coach at Asheville Christian Academy in Buncombe County, North Carolina. According to arrest warrants reported by WSBT, Ingle was employed as a coach at the school at the time of an alleged offense on February 1, 2024. The documents state that he engaged in a sex act with an 18-year-old student. WSBT reported that Ingle, then 51, was arrested and charged with a felony after an investigation by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, and that he made his first court appearance on a Friday.

The sources differ on how the case began. FOX Carolina reported that the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation in early 2024 after reports of inappropriate conduct involving a student at the school. WWNY reported that the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office initiated the investigation after receiving those reports. WWNY and FOX Carolina both give Ingle’s age as 53, while WSBT reports 51. FOX Carolina described the student as underage, while WSBT’s account of the warrants refers to an 18-year-old student. The reports do not resolve these differences.

WSBT reported that an employee at Asheville Christian Academy was placed on leave in April amid the ongoing investigation. The report did not identify that employee in the account provided. WSBT also reported that, as of that Friday, Ingle was no longer listed on the school’s staff and faculty page.

FOX Carolina and WWNY reported that Ingle was placed in the Buncombe County Detention Center in June 2024 under a $10,000 secured bond. WSBT, by contrast, reported that he was held at the Buncombe County Detention Facility under the same bond after his first court appearance. Both accounts describe the bond amount but differ on when Ingle was held.

According to FOX Carolina and WWNY, Ingle later pleaded guilty to charges arising from the investigation. The Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office announced the plea, which FOX Carolina described as sexual misconduct with a student. WWNY reported that the court imposed a suspended 120-day prison term, and WWNY’s headline described Ingle as having avoided jail time. FOX Carolina also reported a suspended 120-day term, along with 18 months of supervised probation.

Ingle is required to register as a sex offender for 30 years, according to FOX Carolina.