Michael Neville, a former head boys basketball coach at Lake Ridge Academy, has been arrested on federal child pornography charges.
He was placed in custody after the FBI caught him having explicit conversations with an undercover agent.
Neville worked as a media director at House of Praise International Church before starting his career as a basketball coach at Lake Ridge Academy.
Although his LinkedIn profile indicates that his coaching began in November 2016, Lake Ridge Academy states that “Neville has not been employed by the school in any capacity since the conclusion of the last academic year.”
Moreover, he became the Girls JV basketball coach at Bay High School in August 2023.
Simultaneously, he carried out his work as a Salesforce associate for Trailhead in March 2023.
We have recently been informed that Michael Neville, who previously served as our boys’ basketball coach, was arrested on federal child pornography charges. We are deeply disturbed by these allegations, and we stand firmly with survivors of abuse and remain fully committed to the safety, well-being, and dignity of our students.
Lake Ridge Head of School Mitch White
Former Coach Accused of Child Pornography After Prior Allegations Were Overlooked
A former basketball coach from the Cleveland area is facing serious federal charges, which raised concerns about his work related to children in the past.
Michael Neville, who coached at Lake Ridge Academy and Bay Village, was arrested on Monday on charges of receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography.
According to an FBI complaint, an agent posing online as a father of a 9-year-old girl began talking with Neville.
Neville allegedly expressed a desire to assault the child sexually and sent explicit images and videos, including one showing the abuse of an infant.
During the conversations, he reportedly admitted to past sexual assault of a 13-year-old and plans to abuse another 15-year-old soon.
The former coach sent the agent a picture of a young girl naked, followed by a video of a girl performing a sexual act. Likewise, he sent another video depicting the sadistic abuse of an infant.
I don’t want to exchange pics. I want to f–k. I haven’t had anyone that young. And I want it so bad.
Michael Neville
Federal officials raided Neville’s Warwick Court home and found more child porn on his phone.
He admitted to the conversation with the agent and having illegal images on his cell phone. Similarly, he confessed to messaging at least two teen girls and receiving nudes from them.
Furthermore, the case took a disturbing turn with the revelation that Neville was investigated in 2001 by Elyria police for potentially abusing his 11- and 7-year-old nieces.
No charges were filed in that case, and he was allowed to continue coaching for over two decades.
According to the Department of Justice, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
Neville remains held without bond, with a preliminary detention hearing scheduled for Sept. 30 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
I am writing to inform you of a serious matter regarding a former Bay High School coach. Late yesterday afternoon, the district received a press inquiry regarding a former Bay High School JV girls’ basketball coach who was employed by the district during the 2023-24 school year. This morning, an article was published that contains more specific information regarding alleged child pornography charges related to the person’s arrest.
Bay Village Schools Superintendent Scot Prebles
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Michael Neville is the son of Martha Martinez Neumann, born in 1979.
- He is originally from Torrance, California, and lives in Elyria, Ohio.
- He graduated from Oberlin High School and studied for the CCNA certification at Lorain County Community College.
