MEMPHIS, Tenn.–A former Memphis basketball coach who took advantage of an underage female player and transported her into Mississippi for sex is going to federal prison for 12 years. Andreus Shannon, 44, got that sentence Monday.
Shannon was a coach for a homeschool basketball association.
According to a news release the relationship went on for several years after Shannon groomed both the victim and her parents, gaining their trust.
Shannon drove the player to various events himself across Mississippi and Tennessee, where the two would have sex. That also happened at his house in Memphis.
Once the girl turned 18 she attempted to end their relationship and Shannon blackmailed her by threatening to release sexually explicit images of the girl. For that he was charged with cyberstalking and received a concurrent five-year sentence.
Shannon will be on probation for five years once he gets out and will have to register as a sex offender.
“Andreus Shannon callously undermined the trust of unsuspecting parents, preying on a minor for years,” said Robert Eikhoff, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office.
“Shannon’s deliberate actions in targeting the innocence of our youth will not be tolerated. The FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Olive Branch Police Department, Oxford Police Department, and the Memphis Police Department will continue to aggressively investigate and bring predatory individuals like Shannon to justice.”
