Washington middle school wrestling coach charged in felony sexual exploitation case involving 14-year-old student

Daniel Ralph Lee, 64, who served as the head coach for the Olympic Middle School wrestling team for two seasons, was arrested on April 15, 2025, in Maple Valley by Auburn Police Department detectives during a traffic stop. He faces charges including communication with a minor for immoral purposes, first-degree possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and first-degree viewing of such depictions.

According to the Auburn School District, Lee, who lives in Seattle, was not a teacher at Olympic Middle School and had not been employed since the end of the last wrestling season.

Prosecutors allege that Lee first met the student, identified as “BW” in court documents, at a school wrestling event and later exchanged phone numbers. Over time, the communication shifted from sports-related to personal and then explicitly sexual. Lee reportedly told BW that he "liked the attention" he received from her and admitted to receiving and viewing the nude images she sent.

“The defendant was in a position of trust at a school to coach young students, and he abused that position of trust,” wrote King County Prosecutor Mylla Dawson in charging documents. “The defendant poses a danger to the community, and the State is concerned that if he is released, he will continue to prey on children in the community.” Prosecutors requested a bail amount of $150,000.

Investigators uncovered alarming evidence from the student's phone, which had been collected by school staff and turned over to police. The messages, exchanged between March 27 and April 4, included discussions about sexual activity and requests for explicit photos. BW eventually sent Lee a series of semi-nude photos and a sexually explicit video.

According to a police report, Lee responded with messages calling the student a “sexy woman” and expressing that he was “honored” she trusted him enough to send the content.

Text logs show that Lee initiated many of the sexual conversations and made suggestive remarks about sexual acts with the student. He also allegedly made multiple requests for photographs, even telling her that sexting would be “their business.”

The student disclosed the nature of the messages to another teacher on April 3, prompting an immediate report to the school principal, who then notified law enforcement and the student’s mother. BW was later interviewed at the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center in Renton.

The principal sent a letter to parents reassuring the school community, stating: “We know this is concerning, and student safety is our number one concern. We have counselors and trusted adults here to support your student. If you have any questions, please contact me.”

This case adds to a growing list of recent reports involving sexual misconduct by school personnel across Washington State and the country. Critics point to systemic failures in safeguarding students, with some alleging that school administrators and lawmakers are not doing enough to protect children from sexual predators in educational environments.

The incident has also added to the political debate, particularly around Initiative 2081, the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which seeks to give parents more control over their children’s education and access to school records, including notification of incidents involving their children's physical and mental health. Earlier this month,

Democrats in the Washington state Legislature voted to gut many of the protections of parental rights in the initiative.