12-05-2025
Former Deerfield High School wrestling coach charged with possessing child pornography
A former volunteer assistant wrestling coach at Deerfield High School in Lake County is facing multiple charges of possessing child pornography.
Alexander Cohen was charged with nine felony counts of possessing child pornography of children under the age of 13.
According to District 113 Superintendent Dr. Chala Holland, Cohen was charged by police in October.
He said law enforcement has not contacted the district and has not provided detailed information about the pending charges.
"District 113 is unaware of any allegations of criminal activity against the defendant during the time the defendant volunteered as an assistant wrestling coach," Holland said.
Holland said Cohan was listed on his LinkedIn account as the social media coordinator/assistant wrestling coach at Deerfield High School from September 2012 to the present.
Cohan served as an active volunteer coach for the boys' wrestling team in the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years and successfully passed a criminal background check.
Although he did not actively serve, he remained listed as a volunteer coach in the parent wrestling handbook for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years. After 2022-23, Holland said that Cohan was not named in any subsequent handbooks or had served in any coaching capacity since 2019-2020.
