Assistant coach on state championship basketball team arrested, charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse

QUINCY — An assistant coach on Quincy Notre Dame’s girls basketball state championship team was arrested Thursday and is lodged in the Adams County Jail on a charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

The Quincy Police Department began an investigation involving a possible inappropriate relationship between a coach/trainer and a 16-year-old Quincy juvenile. The juvenile was interviewed and provided details and other corroborating evidence concerning the investigation.

The suspect, later identified as Jonathan Graff, was an assistant coach and also an employee of the TAP (Total Athlete Performance) program at 3032 Broadway. Detectives spoke with the owners of TAP, who advised they had heard of the investigation and had immediately put Graff on administrative leave.

Detectives observed Graff’s vehicle near 20th and Oak on Friday. He was located after finishing a basketball practice in the Health and Fitness Center at Quincy University, and he was arrested without incident at approximately 8:50 p.m. Graff was transported to the Quincy Police Department, where he was interviewed. 

“QND can confirm that Jonathan Graff was most recently associated with our Lady Raider basketball program,” QND principal Mark McDowell said in a prepared statement. “We are cooperating with local authorities in their investigation. Given that this is a personnel matter, we have no further comment.”

Anyone with additional information concerning this investigation is encouraged to contact the Quincy Police Department at 217-228-4473 or the Quincy Regional Crimestoppers at 217-228-4474.

Graff has been an assistant coach at Quincy Notre Dame for six years. He also coaches several boys and girls teams for the Tri-State Legacy, an AAU traveling basketball team.