McInerney paid some of his players to text message him about their sexual habits
Bartholomew McInerney, the former St. Rose High School coach convicted of having inappropriate sexual conversations with some of his players, is escorted into the courtroom for his sentencing at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold today.
BELMAR — Former St. Rose High School baseball coach Bartholomew McInerney was sentenced this morning to 18 years in prison for paying some players to send him text messages about their sexual habits.
In an emotionally-charged two-hour proceeding before Superior Court Judge Anthony Mellaci Jr. in Freehold, McInerney gave a five-minute tearful talk in which he apologized repeatedly to the victims, their families and his own family.
"I can't even imagine the anger and the hatred and the sorrow, the pain and suffering that some and many of these families have gone through,'' he said. "As the coach of St. Rose, basically, my ultimate goal always was to help the players become better people to relay that message to them to try to teach them to have the most positive effect on as many people as possible and then I then turn around and do the contrary where I affect so many people in a negative way.''
Wearing a green jail-issued jumpsuit and sandals, McInerney had his hands shackled to his waist and sat stone-faced for much of the sentencing. He made no reference to the reason for not showing up for his sentencing and sudden hospitalization on May 25, after which Mellaci issued an arrest warrant.
A widely respected coach, McInerney, 44, was convicted Jan. 22 of 10 counts of child endangerment after a jury determined he offered money to some of his players in exchange for coded messages about their masturbation habits. He faces up to 10 years in prison for each count.
On May 25, Superior Court Judge Anthony Mellaci Jr. issued a warrant for McInerney's arrest after the ex-coach did not show up for his sentencing. About an hour after the proceeding started without him in Freehold, McInerney was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for an undisclosed condition. He was seen by at least one neighbor leaving his Spring Lake Heights home and walking to the waiting ambulance under his own power.
Because Mellaci revoked McInerney's $200,000 bail, he was transferred that night to the Monmouth County jail in Freehold when he was discharged from the hospital.
McInerney, head baseball coach at St. Rose for 13 years, contends he encouraged his players to use masturbation as a way to avoid having sex with their girlfriends.
He becomes eligible for parole after serving three years and seven months of his term, but will be subject to community supervision for life under Megan's Law. He will be barred from holding any job working directly with anyone under 18 in a state or community-service position, the judge said.
Previous coverage:
• Ex-Belmar coach convicted of sexual misconduct fails to show at sentencing
• Former baseball coach of St. Rose High School in Belmar is convicted of sexual misconduct
• Spring Lake Heights mother supports witnesses at trial of Belmar coach accused of sexual misconduct
• Attorneys in trial of Belmar coach accused of sexual misconduct argue over cell phone discovery
• Ex-Belmar baseball coach is implicated by three more witnesses in sexual misconduct trial
• Four former Belmar high school students testify coach offered money for sex talk
• Ex-Belmar high school baseball coach faces one of accusers in sexual misconduct trial
