Former coach arrested on sex charges

CLOVIS — A former assistant track coach with Clovis Christian Schools was arrested Thursday, charged with criminal sexual communication with a child.

A New Mexico State Police news release alleges Garrett Scott Fly, 23, "sent several nude images to at least one fourteen year old female CCS student" in April.

"Mr. Fly stated he had sent those images to a lot of people to include sending the images to (the minor) at the same time he sent the image to other people," wrote an investigating officer of an Aug. 15 interview with Fly, documented in a criminal complaint filed Sept. 21. "I then asked why he was sending (the minor) photos with his genital exposed. Mr. Fly stated that it was hard to explain."

Fly has not been employed with CCS since his contract ended after the state track meet in the spring, Superintendent Ladona Clayton said this summer. She cited "limited personnel matters" when declining to discuss details then and did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday evening.

The investigation began May 17 with the Clovis Police Department and was referred to NMSP for further work, said a criminal complaint filed Thursday.

In July, an officer obtained a search warrant for the content of Fly's Snapchat account and discovered nude images and videos of Fly consistent with descriptions from the minor of her exchanges with him.

Fly told an investigating officer he did not recall sending the minor such images and credited that to "blacking out" and "having weird panic attacks / out of body experiences," which he attributed in part to taking Cannabidiol (CBD) medication.

"I don't want to say it didn't happen because I know how I am, you know what I mean," he told the officer.

"I'm not saying I'm deliberately seeking out 14 year old girls. I'm not saying that at all, but I could see myself making a stupid decision like this especially if it is coupled with that medication that I was taking ... I know for a fact that I would do something stupid."

It was not immediately clear if Fly had an attorney, and a member of his family did not immediately respond Thursday evening to a request for comment.

Fly was booked into the Curry County Adult Detention Center just before 4 p.m. Thursday. CCADC Administrator Mark Gallegos said Fly would initially stay there without bond, since he was booked on a felony charge, and a judge has three days not including the weekend to schedule an arraignment to determine further bond conditions.

A civil complaint filed July 26 in the Second Judicial District Court sought punitive damages exceeding $25,000 and alleged that Fly exploited his authority as a coach at the school to sexually abuse a girl there. The complaint also alleged administrators attempted to threaten the girl into silence. Clayton said at the time that she did not interrogate the girl and did not threaten her.